Half-Fish
by redoctoberrose
Summary: There have always been two things Haruka was certain of about himself: one is that he was a half-fish, and the other is that he was adopted. Now, at the age of twenty-two, his exceptional swimming abilities had granted him almost everything he could want- the one thing his money couldn't buy was the truth about his heritage.
1. Half-Fish

There have always been two things Haruka was certain of about himself: one is that he was a half-fish, and the other is that he was adopted. It was never kept secret from him; he had always known his parents had adopted him. And it only took one trip to the ocean to learn the other thing. He was only a toddler, holding his mother's hands as he took his first steps into the shallow waves, when his legs gave way and he found himself holding tightly to his mother to keep from falling in, a bright blue tail splashing beneath him where his legs were supposed to be. As quickly as it happened, she pulled him up out of the water, and his legs were back.

At five years old he began to wonder if it had been a dream. It didn't happen in the bath, or at the pool, or in that one really deep puddle by the road. He hadn't been allowed to swim in the ocean again ever since, but the memory was vivid- as vivid as the blue of his tail- and it was the smell of salted fish that gave him the idea- what if it only happens in salt water? And at five years old, Haruka poured salt into his bath and watched his dream become reality once more.

Now, at the age of twenty-two, his exceptional swimming abilities had granted him _almost_ everything he could want. He didn't care about the medals or being on a box of cereal, but the money he earned allowed him to buy a house by the beach, with an indoor pool that he could maintain with salt water. He could rent boats to take him out over the ocean whenever he wanted (or whenever Makoto wanted to go fishing), and he could rent equipment to take his friends scuba-diving with him, while he swam in his half-fish form. Only his four closest friends knew, of course: Makoto, Nagisa, Rei, and Rin. He _thought_ Gou might have noticed, too, but he wasn't sure and didn't really mind either way.

The one thing his money couldn't buy was the truth about his heritage, and the one bane of his fame was the paparazzi. Despite his home being on a private beach where only his neighbors should be able to see him, he had yet to be able to go swimming there, partway due to his busy schedule, but mostly due to the boats that cruised around with tourists and cameramen onboard. He trusted his friends with his secret, but he didn't trust the world.

Turning off the wave machine in his pool, Haruka swam to the shallow end, where there was a slope leading out of the pool. He used his arms to pull himself up it until he was out and waited for his legs to come back. When he could walk, he made his way to one of the nearby poolside lounge chairs and dried himself with a towel, then wrapped it around his waist. His phone beeped and vibrated against the arm of the chair.

 _Haruka-senpai,_

 _It took me all weekend, but my research has found an answer to that question you asked me. If you go to the attached coordinates, I'm certain you'll find what you're looking for!_

 _Best of luck,_

 _Rei_

Haruka's eyes sparkled as he gathered his things and went into the main house. Sitting at his computer, he plugged in the coordinates from Rei. It really paid off to have a friend in school for marine biology.

 _Thanks, Rei._ He emailed back.

When the coordinates came up, he was not surprised by what he found. Off the shore of Iwatobi, but farther out than the fishing boats went. It made perfect sense considering he was found in Iwatobi as a baby. That was where he would find his people. That was where the half-fish were. His heart pounded in his chest with a deep longing.

"Haru!"

Haruka flicked his computer over to the home monitoring system, though he already knew who it was. He watched Makoto come inside, take off his shoes, and proceed towards the pool. In just a moment, he would round the corner, and-

"Haru!" Makoto whined. "You're going to catch a cold if you sit around in a wet towel all the time!"

"I just got coordinates from Rei," Haruka told him, ignoring his well-intentioned scolding. "Makoto, will you help me?"

"Huh? Wait, really? You know where they are?"

Haruka nodded.

A smile spread across Makoto's face, though tears formed in his eyes. "Of course I'll help!" he promised. "Just make sure you come back, alright?"

"Actually," Haruka said, clicking his monitoring system to the outdoor cameras. "I don't plan on going in the water." He pointed to the beach view, where two boats were bobbing in the waves.

"You really think they'd follow you out there?" Makoto asked.

"Remember the last time we went fishing?" Haruka reminded him. When they got to the docks with their equipment, a crowd had already gathered in waiting. Once word that an Olympic swimmer regularly went anywhere, there were always fans and press to be found. If he had to answer the question of whether he was ready for the next competition one more time, he was going to lose it.

"But we've never gone from here before." Makoto pulled up a map on his phone and pointed to a dock just outside of Iwatobi. It was the one Makoto used when he got his boating license.

"I'm also…" Haruka's voice trailed off. "What if they don't let me leave?"

"The other half-fish?"

"Yeah."

"That's…" Makoto's face grew anguished. "No way! If they found out you'd told humans, what if they came after us to keep us quiet?!"

"It's a possibility," Haruka replied, though he doubted his friends were in any real danger. What concerned him most was if they were hostile and attacked _him._ Or if they refused to let him live as a human anymore.

"So, what are you planning?" Makoto asked.

Haruka pulled up a picture of small luxury boat on his computer. It was definitely used, but it had a small hot tub on the deck. "This, an underwater camera, and a net."

"You want to catch one?!" Makoto exclaimed.

"If I can just talk to one of them and get a feeling for how they feel about me, I can decide if I should go myself." Haruka closed out of his computer and stood up. "If I can bring another half-fish onboard the boat and talk to them, I can finally start the process of reconnecting with my own kind."

"Haru…"

"I'm getting dressed and going into town to find a good camera," Haruka told him. He started for the staircase at the end of the hall. "Are you coming with me?"

With a sigh, Makoto took a seat in the computer chair. "Fine. I'll wait here until you're ready."

Acquiring a good underwater camera setup was not as difficult as Haruka had previously thought it might be, though it was more expensive. Getting a couple of nets, then, was even easier. Getting it all to the dock where his boat was, however, was… an effort. An effort made significantly easier with a call to be picked up by a taxi.

"You already bought it?" Makoto asked, looking down the dock at the little boat.

"Last week," Haruka told him. "I knew Rei would come through."

"Are you sure this little thing is going to make it that far out to sea..?" Makoto's doubts were well-founded. It was very, very small, made to look even smaller as he stepped onto it and set the net he was carrying down.

"If anything happens to the boat I'll make sure you're alright," Haruka promised. He stepped onboard as well, opening a hatch in the deck and placing the equipment inside.

"R-right," Makoto agreed hesitantly. "So, when are you planning to go out?"

"Tomorrow," Haruka said firmly. "I've waited my whole life for this. I can't put it off any longer."

"Let's head out early, so that it's less likely you'll be followed," Makoto suggested.

Haruka nodded. "For now, let's move this thing out of Iwatobi, to that other dock."

"I'll give them a call to make sure there's a spot open." Makoto pulled out his phone.

The ride from one dock to the other was relatively smooth, considering Makoto had never driven a boat quite like this one before. Haruka decided to make the most of his time and start cleaning up the inside of the hot tub while they went; a regrettable decision when he ended up getting soaked in the dirty soap-water. Fortunately, when they got there and the boat stopped moving, Makoto was able to help and the rest of the clean-up went by quickly.

Haruka met Makoto at the dock before the sun was up. His friend was already donning a life-jacket before they got onboard. "I brought lunch and some snacks," Haruka said, holding up a cooler.

"So did I." Makoto chuckled, doing the same.

Before they set off, Haruka tested the water in the not-so-hot tub to make sure it was well-balanced and adequately salty for marine life. With a nod of satisfaction at the results of the test strips, he put the cover over it and gave Makoto the O-K to start the boat.

The ride out was fairly smooth. The ocean was calm and the sky was clear, and other boaters waved as they passed. There were some curious looks from the fishermen, but once they cleared the fishing waters, there were no other boats around to bother them. When they reached the coordinates Rei had given them, Makoto turned off the boat and let out a sigh of relief, while Haruka dropped anchor.

"Well, we're here," Makoto said, looking out over the water. It looked unremarkable on the surface, but the thought of what might be swimming down below them was exciting.

"I'll get the camera set up," Haruka grunted, lifting the hatch. "Can you get started on the nets?"

The entire set-up took nearly an hour of trial-and-error, but when the nets and camera were all in place, Haruka's excitement levels rose. With luck, he'd finally be able to meet another of his own kind, and put to rest some of the fears in his heart.

Even during lunch Haruka's eyes remained glued to the camera's monitor. It was placed close enough to the surface that the sunlight could still penetrate, though he didn't see much activity other than a few small fish. Still, he maintained his watch, while Makoto took a nap.

At about one o'clock, a dark shape shifted beneath the camera. "Makoto!" Haruka whispered harshly, jolting his friend awake. "There's something." His heart was thudding in his ears. He stared unblinking, aware that his friend was now watching over his shoulder, when there was another glimpse. It was large and quick, glistening red in front of the camera. "There!"

"I saw it!"

"Could you make it out?"

"Only that it was red," Makoto breathed.

"Whatever it is, it's right below us." Haruka gulped as he waited for it to make another appearance. "When we see it again, we make our move."

"Right."

A drop of sweat ran down the back of Haruka's neck. For it to be something _that_ large and red, it _had_ to be… He wondered if it was under them right now, checking out their boat. He wondered if it swam away, knowing what they were. But a moment later, there was another glimpse- another red, glistening flash before the camera.

"Now!"

Both running to the sides of the boat, each man took a net and started to pull. The small boat shifted under the changing weights on either side of it, rocking side to side as they pulled more net onboard. "Haru!" Makoto yelled.

Turning around, Haruka saw red fins peeking over Makoto's side of the boat. Abandoning his net, Haruka hurried over and started to pull with Makoto. What they brought onboard made both gasping men stare, though only for a moment before Haruka ran to uncover the hot tub.

"Help me get him in!" he called, and Makoto helped Haruka pull the net to the edge of the tub. It was strange, he thought, that his legs returned almost instantaneously upon leaving the water, but this creature remained the same.

The being that they dumped out of the net was dazed, falling into the water without struggle. As Haruka looked down through the shallow pool of water, he could make out the bright red tail and muscled human torso of a male half-fish, approximately his own age. He had dark hair that covered part of his face, and his eyes were closed.

"We did it," Haruka choked. He jumped when the half-fish's eyes opened and his head whipped around, taking in his small, enclosed surroundings.

"He looks pissed," Makoto observed nervously, stepping back.

"Wouldn't you be?" Haruka asked, drawing closer. When the half-fish looked up and saw him, his eyes narrowed and he scowled at Haruka. "Can you hear me?" Haruka called. "Can you speak?"

"Be careful!" Makoto urged.

The half-fish stared with fiery red eyes back at Haruka, not acknowledging his attempts at communication, nor attempting any of his own. After a few moments, he raised himself into a sitting position, his head only just below the surface of the water.

"This is incredible," Makoto breathed. "But, what do we do now?"

"We wait," Haruka replied. He sat at the edge of the hot tub with his legs curled under him. "Eventually he'll either talk to us or try to get out."

"Should we be worried?" Makoto asked nervously.

"I don't think so," Haruka replied. His voice was calm but his pulse was furious. "I think I'd know by now if half-fish had fangs or claws or something." As he watched the other half-fish watching him, he couldn't help but smile. He finally did it. He finally confirmed that there were more of his own kind, and he had one, here, in front of him. The anticipation of the moment when the red-tailed half-fish finally spoke to him made his skin prickle with excitement.

Hours passed with Haruka sitting by the edge of the tub, watching the red-tailed half-fish. The only movement either of them made was to readjust themselves more comfortably, though their eyes remained on each other. The sun beat down on Haruka's back as he waited.

"Haru," Makoto said from the small shade offered by the wheelhouse. "Look over there."

Haruka broke his gaze with the other half-fish to see what Makoto was pointing to. In the distance, past the blue skies over their heads, were dark clouds. "A storm?"

"Looks like it. You feel that breeze?"

Haruka nodded.

"It's not safe to be out this far at sea on a boat like this with a storm coming."

Haruka turned to look back at the other half-fish, whose eyes had followed his to the sky. "You see it too, huh?" The other half-fish turned back to Haruka, no less pissed than he was before. "Listen, I've been searching for years to find you, to find another of my kind, so I'm not letting you go until you talk to me!"

The red-tailed half-fish cocked a brow at him, then turned his back on him.

"Please, just talk to me!" Haruka pleaded. "If you'll just answer a few questions, I'll let you go."

The other half-fish sunk down deeper into the water, so that his tail was resting on the seat of the hot tub and his back and head were laying against the floor.

"Damn it!" Haruka spat.

"Haru, we have to go," Makoto urged. "The wind is already picking up and the water is starting to change."

"Fine," Haruka agreed, crossing his arms. "But we're taking him back with us."

"What?!" Makoto exclaimed. "Are you insane? What if someone sees him?"

"I'll put the tarp over the hot tub. No one will see him."

"And what will we do when we get back to the dock with him?"

Haruka pondered for a moment as he pulled up the camera and started packing up. "I'll call Nagisa. Have him rent a truck and put a kiddie pool in the back. We can get him to my place and put him in my pool."

"Are you nuts?!" Makoto panicked.

A harsh wind rocked the boat. "We don't have time to argue about it, just get us back to the dock and let me handle the rest!" Haruka barked. He pulled up anchor while Makoto prepared to leave.

"Haru, the other net!"

"Cut if off, we don't need it anymore."

As Makoto started the boat towards shore, Haruka looked down at the red-tailed half-fish. "I'm sorry."

The other half-fish crossed his arms and splashed Haruka with his tail.

"Please forgive me," he added, pulling the tarp over the hot tub and fastening it down at the corners. As Makoto handled the boat, Haruka sat near the hot tub, watching to make sure the other half-fish didn't try to escape out the open sides of the tarp.

When they were close to the dock, the waves had picked up significantly, and a strong wind was blowing. The storm clouds were close and thunder rumbled in the distance. Dialing his cell phone, Haruka prayed he maintained signal.

"Haru-chan!" Nagisa's voice greeted him cheerfully.

"Nagisa!" Haruka said quickly. "I need a favor, fast."

"Wah, what's the matter?" Nagisa sounded excited but concerned.

"You have your driver's license now, right?"

"Yeah?"

"I need you to rent a truck and come pick up Makoto, me, and a half-fish."

"A half- Haru-chan, what's going on?" Nagisa nearly choked on his words.

"Can you get a truck?"

"Yeah, I guess so, but-"

"I need you to put a kiddie pool in it."

"What?"

"A kiddie pool, for the other half-fish."

"Haru-chan, you're not making sense!"

"Can you do it?"

"Alright, alright, email me the location and I'll come."

"Be quick about it, please, there's a storm coming and we're stuck on this boat until you get here." Haruka hung up the phone and emailed him the location of the dock.

By the time they parked the boat and tied it off, the rain had started to fall and lightning flashed overhead. Loud crashes of thunder echoed around them and not a single boat could be seen left on the water. The dock was full of rocking boats tied to their posts, their owners having long since left for shelter.

"Haru, this is bad," Makoto said, huddled under the shelter of the open wheelhouse.

"I can't leave him," Haruka said, catching hold of the tarp as one of the corners began to lift off. He watched as hands poked out from underneath, lifting the edge, and saw the red-tailed half-fish peering out at the sky.

Thunder cracked overhead, and the other half-fish jumped, startled, and came around to the side of the tarp where Haruka was, lifting the edge to look at him. He looked as though he was about to speak, when another flash of lightning lit his widened eyes and he ducked back under the water.

"I'm sorry," Haruka called under the tarp. "I have a friend on the way to pick us up, just hold on a little longer!"

As he was saying this, a van pulled up to the edge of the dock and started blowing its horn. "Haru-chan, Mako-chan!" Nagisa shouted. "Over here!"

"Makoto," Haruka instructed, "take that side of the tarp. We'll wrap him in it to get him into the van."

"Alright," Makoto agreed, taking hold of his side.

Haruka released the ties on the corners of the tarp, ignoring the panicked half-fish that was circling the small hot tub underneath. Once Makoto had the tarp laid flat, Haruka reached into the water and grabbed the red-tailed half-fish, catching him under his arms, and pulled him up. He struggled against the other's flailing, practically falling on top of him to get him on the tarp, then helped Makoto wrap the tarp around him. The two each took an end, hefting him up and out of the boat, and carried him up to the van.

"Sorry it's not a truck," Nagisa apologized, opening the rear door. "But I got the pool!"

"Thanks, Nagisa," Haruka huffed, climbing into the back of the van and pulling the struggling roll of half-fish inside. "I owe you one."

"Can you handle things back here?" Makoto asked, helping Haruka pull all of the tarp inside.

"Yeah. You ride up front with Nagisa and get us to my place," Haruka panted. Once the van's rear doors were closed, Haruka unrolled the other half-fish and helped him into the tiny pool, half of the water splashing out in the process. "Sorry about all of this."

If the other half-fish hadn't been so focused on keeping his head under the shallow water, he looked as though he could've lunged out at him to attack.

When they finally reached Haruka's place, Haruka laid the tarp over the kiddie pool, and all three men carried it around to the side door of the house, which was closer to the indoor pool. Once Haruka had the door open, knowing that the pool would never fit through without dumping, he grabbed the red-tailed half-fish through the tarp and carried him inside, through the house, to his pool, where he dropped him into the deep end.

"Did he make it..?" Makoto asked nervously.

"He's scared, but he's alright," Haruka panted.

"Whoa!" Nagisa gasped. "Haru-chan, is that really another half-fish?"

"Yeah," Haruka replied. He watched the red-tailed half-fish slowly begin to explore the bottom of the pool. "So far I haven't gotten him to talk to me, though."

"He's pretty," Nagisa commented, looking over the edge of the pool.

"He's also pissed," Haruka cautioned, pulling Nagisa back by the collar of his shirt. "It might be best if you and Makoto left for now."

"Are you sure we should leave you alone with him?" Makoto asked doubtfully.

"I'll be fine," Haruka said. "I think the best way to talk to him now would be half-fish to half-fish. Having others around might make him more nervous."

"If you're sure…" Makoto sighed. "I'll come by in the morning to check up on you. Be safe."

"I'll have class in the morning, but send me updates, okay?" Nagisa added.

Nodding, Haruka watched them leave. When he was sure that they were gone, he sat cross-legged at the edge of the pool, watching the other half-fish explore his new surroundings. Rain still pattered hard against the glass roof, and occasionally lightning reflected in, lighting up the room, but the thick glass had withstood much worse in the past and Haruka was not concerned.

When it seemed that the red-tailed half-fish was done looking around and had taken to sitting at the bottom of the pool to stare up at Haruka, Haruka made his move. Walking around closer to the shallow end, putting some space between him and the other half-fish, Haruka began taking off his still-wet clothes. He could see the other half-fish watching him curiously from a safe distance, though when he removed his boxers, that safe distance became the exact farthest point from him as possible.

Sitting on the edge of the pool, Haruka let himself fall in, his legs turning into a bright blue tail as he went. In the water, he could see the other half-fish was cowering in a corner, his shoulders shaking and his head hidden in his arms. Swimming closer to him, Haruka could feel the fear wafting off of the red-tailed half-fish, and he stopped a few feet away.

"I'm sorry I had to put you through all of this," he said, hoping the other could understand him. "I don't want to hurt you. I just want to talk!"

Slowly, the red-tailed half-fish opened his eyes and peered at him through his dark hair. Suddenly, with eyes wide, the red-tailed half-fish uncurled himself and took a proper look at Haruka, his mouth falling open. "Th-the missing prince…" he whispered. Tucking his arms into his chest, he bowed. "Your highness, if I had known it was you, I never- I'm so, so sorry for the way I behaved, I- I will do anything you wish!"


	2. Pheromones

"'Your highness?'" Haruka repeated. "What are you talking about?"

Raising his head, the red-tailed half-fish gave him another looking over. "There's no mistaking it, you must be him, the missing prince. Those blue scales that are even on your torso and arms, and the fact that you can turn into a human. You must be the prince!"

Haruka looked from the patches of blue scales on his arms to the red-tailed half-fish and realized that his human half was, in fact, scale-free. "Can't all half-fish turn into humans?" he asked. The idea of being a prince really didn't suit him, he thought.

"No, only the royal family can," the red-tailed half-fish explained, shaking his head. After a moment of silence, he bowed again. "My name is Ikuya," he said. "Kirishima Ikuya."

"Nanase Haruka," Haruka introduced himself, extending a hand.

Ikuya looked at it skeptically, then hesitantly reached out his own hand and took it. He was startled when Haruka started to shake them, but he allowed him to do as he wished.

"Well, Ikuya, it's nice to know you _can_ talk," Haruka jabbed, "now maybe we can clear a few things up."

Bowing again, Ikuya apologized frantically, "I'm so very sorry for before! I could hear every word you said and yet I remained silent, thinking you were just a human out to get me, not knowing you were the prince!"

"I should apologize, too," Haruka said softly. "Maybe if I had just come down into the water myself, this whole mess could've been avoided. Now I've not only taken you from your home, but I've put you through so much to get here."

"I-I'm fine, really!" Ikuya assured him.

"You're not hurt, not even a little?" Haruka asked, wanting to be sure.

"I'm a little sore from being handled," Ikuya admitted, breaking eye contact. "But it's nothing. It's nothing at all now that I know you're the prince!"

"You keep saying that I'm the prince," Haruka grumbled. "But what does that actually mean, anyway?"

Ikuya's fiery orange eyes met Haruka's sparkling blue ones and he straightened up, taking the underwater gill-equivalent of a deep breath. "May I ask you something?"

Haruka nodded.

"When were you adopted?"

"As a baby," Haruka replied. He felt momentarily surprised that Ikuya knew he was adopted, but he realized that it was kind of obvious.

"You were discovered on a beach, weren't you? In late spring?"

"Yes, I was," Haruka replied slowly. "How did..?"

"Because," Ikuya explained, "twenty-one years ago, in late spring, the king and queen's only child, a son with a bright blue tail, not even a year old yet, went missing during a storm."

Closing his eyes, Haruka took a moment to take it in. So, it really was true, then. He supposed it made about as much sense as any other part of being a half-fish. "Ikuya," Haruka asked, "would you teach me what it means to be a half-fish?"

Ikuya's eyes sparkled like jewels. "You want _me_ to teach _you?"_ he asked. "O-of course I will!"

Smiling, Haruka clasped both of Ikuya's hands in his. "Thank you!"

With a blush, Ikuya nodded. "O-of course, your h-highness!" he sputtered. A gurgling sound from his stomach made his blush turn to full-on embarrassment red.

"Are you hungry?" Haruka asked, releasing Ikuya's hands. "What do half-fish normally eat, anyway?"

Nodding, Ikuya floated back a little. "Fish, mostly," he replied timidly. "B-but I'm sure whatever human food you have is perfectly good, too!"

Haruka smiled gently. "I'll cook up some mackerel," he said, then caught himself. "Or would you prefer it raw?"

"Raw, please," Ikuya replied quietly. "Thank you."

Swimming towards the shallow end, Haruka began the process of pulling himself up the slope. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he promised. When he had emerged enough for his tail to turn back into legs, he stood, turning to face the pool. Ikuya was watching him from the middle of the pool, his head raised above the surface.

"S-sorry! I didn't mean to stare, just… I've never seen a royal transform before."

"Oh." Haruka shrugged it off and went for a towel. It was an inconvenient caveat to his transformation that clothing was never an option. He couldn't remember how many swimsuits he'd ripped trying. "I'll be right back," he called, leaving the pool area and entering the main house.

When Haruka returned to the pool, Ikuya was laying on the slope with just his head and shoulders out of the water. His arms were folded under his head for support, and he watched Haruka with a smile. Curious, Haruka went to the control panel by the door and turned on the wave generator. He wanted to see if the added undulation would make Ikuya feel more at home.

"Is that better?" Haruka asked.

Ikuya scrunched his brows together, then a wave rolled over his head and he jumped. Turning around, he could see the water was undulating, forming small waves. "You can do that?!" he exclaimed.

"I put a lot of money into this pool," Haruka said, approaching the slope with two plates in his hands. "I can do a lot of things with it." He passed down the one with raw fish to Ikuya, then set his plate on the edge of the pool, took off his towel, and sat down in the water beside the red-tailed half-fish. In an instant, his tail returned, and he slid a little further down the slope to reach his plate.

"Thank you for the food," Ikuya said, grabbing the fish off the plate and taking a big bite out of the side.

Taking a bite of his own cooked fish, Haruka watched Ikuya eat his raw, bones, skin, and all. "Have you ever eaten cooked fish before?" he asked.

"No," Ikuya replied. "Pretty much everything half-fish eat is raw."

"I guess it'd be hard to find something hot enough to cook with, huh," Haruka realized. Breaking off a piece of his fish, he held it out to Ikuya. "Want to try?"

Looking a little skeptical, Ikuya took the cooked fish and sniffed it. Cautiously, he put it into his mouth and chewed. After swallowing, he made an uncertain face. "It's not _bad,_ " he said, "but it would certainly take getting used to." Breaking off a piece of what little was left of his meal, Ikuya offered it to Haruka. "Ever tried raw?"

"I have, actually," Haruka replied, but he took the piece and ate it anyway. It wasn't bad, but like Ikuya said, it would take getting used to if he _had_ to eat it that way. "So, what other things do half-fish eat?"

"It's mostly fish," Ikuya told him with a shrug. "Sometimes we'll have shark, if one dares to come too close, and just before the cold months we might all gang up on a whale and eat its blubber. There's seaweed, too, if you're into that sort of thing, and sea turtles. Oh, and eggs! Just about any kind, really. But we're only allowed to take them on special occasions, so that there will always be baby fish to grow into adult fish for us to eat later."

"That doesn't sound too different from what humans eat, except in the preparation." Haruka shuddered at the thought of eating raw blubber.

"Really?" Ikuya asked. "Maybe human food isn't as gross as everyone thinks it is."

"Maybe not." Haruka grinned.

When they'd both finished eating, Ikuya took them back into the deep end of the pool, and Haruka continued his questioning. He asked about where half-fish lived, how they lived, how they fought, who they fought, what they did with their days. He asked about the details of their everyday lives, about family dynamics, and relationships. He was surprised to learn that most half-fish were capable of biological gender changes that would allow otherwise same-sex partners to bear children, much like certain species of fish Haruka had read about at the aquarium.

Haruka's questions began to die down as both half-fish came to rest on the bottom of the pool. The sun had long since gone down, triggering the automatic underwater lights to come on, illuminating them softly as they talked. As Haruka listened to Ikuya explain what half-fish school was like, he closed his eyes. All of the stress from earlier had long since melted away, and as his excitement died down, he found himself drifting off to sleep.

Haruka woke to the sound of a splash from above him. Beside him, he saw and felt Ikuya rise up and swim over top of him, taking up a defensive position before the figure that had just jumped in. Peering around Ikuya, Haruka could see Makoto swimming towards them.

"It's okay, he's a friend!" Haruka said, swimming out from under Ikuya. "His name is Makoto, I've known him since I was a kid."

"He was there yesterday," Ikuya commented, his shoulders relaxing. "He was one of the ones who helped you bring me here."

"That's right," Haruka replied, swimming over to Makoto and signaling for him to go up. When they had both breeched the surface, Haruka turned to face him. "What's wrong?"

"Geez," Makoto gasped. "You scared me! I saw you lying down there and I thought something bad had happened!"

"We were sleeping," Haruka told him calmly. He heard Ikuya surface behind him. "Makoto, this is Kirishima Ikuya."

"N-nice to meet you," Makoto said nervously. "I'm Tachibana Makoto."

"Nice to meet you," Ikuya responded quietly. He stayed behind Haruka, barely letting his head bob above water. "So, you're one of Prince Haruka's human friends."

"'Prince Haruka?'" Makoto repeated.

"It would seem so," Haruka replied. "The same time I was found alone on the beach as a baby, the half-fish king and queen's little boy went missing."

"And Prince Haruka can turn into a human," Ikuya added. "Only royals can do that."

"Oh, really?" Makoto asked. "Wow, that's amazing, Haru!"

"Yeah, well, don't spread it to the others," Haruka requested, looking away. "I don't want anyone to treat me any differently. I'm still the same person I was before."

"Sure," Makoto agreed.

"As prince, you have every right to be treated specially!" Ikuya exclaimed incredulously. "You're so special, just the fact that you'd ask anything of me, even just to answer some questions and talk about home, brings honor to me and my family."

"Seriously?" Makoto gaped. "Just for asking questions?"

"Well, yeah," Ikuya replied. He shrank back again. "I'm a nobody hunter back home, so being asked to teach a royal about being a half-fish is kind of a big deal. Also, if anyone back home found out how I behaved when you first pulled me up onto that boat… well, I'd be banished, for sure. I mean, to ignore a royal when he speaks directly to you like that…" Ikuya shuddered.

"Honestly, you have every right to hate me," Haruka said solemnly. "If anyone wants to harm you because of your interactions with me, then they can take it up with me themselves."

"Prince…" Ikuya muttered. He dunked his head down under the water and bowed.

"That really is some attitude change from yesterday," Makoto noticed. "I guess being a prince really helped you out."

"I guess so."

"Well, now that I know you're alright, I have to get to work. Erm, I have to get home and change and then get to work." Makoto looked down at his soaked clothes rippling in the water. "Give me a call if you need anything, alright?"

"Thanks," Haruka said with a smile. Once Makoto had gone, Haruka went under the water to talk to Ikuya. "I have to leave for a little while," he said. "I have training today. I'll leave you some fish before I go, in case you get hungry. Is there anything else you might want?"

"I'll be fine," Ikuya replied. "Go and take care of your human things. I'm not going anywhere."

Haruka watched him wistfully. "I'm sorry you'll have to be alone," he said. "I'm sorry you're stuck here."

Shaking his head, Ikuya mustered a smile. "Don't be," he said softly. "If it would be of service to you, I'd stay here for the rest of my life."

Looking away sadly, Haruka swam up to the shallow end and pulled himself out. He thought Ikuya had been genuinely excited to be talking to him, but now he wondered if it was all out of a sense of duty, because he was the prince. He was sure Ikuya must long to go home, but he continued to answer cheerfully to Haruka's questions out of some honor-bound obligation. When his legs returned, Haruka wrapped a towel around his waist and went inside.

When Haruka returned home, the first thought on his mind was bed. The sun had already gone down and he was too tired to think about dinner. His body ached from the rigorous training he'd gone through, and the massage he'd gotten afterwards had only made him sleepy. Stumbling through the door to the pool, Haruka used the last of his energy to strip down and climb into the water.

"Welcome back, your highness!" Ikuya greeted him, swimming up to him and bowing.

Closing his eyes, Haruka drifted to the bottom of the pool. "Can you stop calling me 'your highness' and 'Prince Haruka' and all that?" he asked.

"What should I call you, then?" Ikuya wondered.

"'Haru' is fine," Haruka murmured.

"That's… so informal," Ikuya marveled. "Is it really okay?"

After a very slight head nod, Haruka's body relaxed and he began to doze. He was hardly aware of the presence that came to rest beside him as he faded out of consciousness.

"Goodnight, Haru," Ikuya whispered from close by.

In the morning, when Haruka opened his eyes, he saw Ikuya sleeping beside him. The gentle movement of the water from the wave generator above them made his dark hair float up and down from in front of his eyes. As he was watching him, he saw Ikuya curl his fingers in and draw his arms close to his chest before he arched his back, stretching his arms up slowly above his head. When he'd finished stretching, he opened his eyes and met Haruka's stare, a bright red blush spreading over his cheeks.

"Good morning," Haruka said with a grin.

"G-good morning," Ikuya stammered back. He clutched a hand to his chest and let out a breath, a flurry of bubbles racing for the surface. "Even if you let me call you Haru, my heartrate will never let me forget you're the prince."

Propping himself up on one arm, Haruka asked, "What do you mean?"

Laying down on his stomach, Ikuya rested his head on his arms. "I'm talking about pheromones," he said. "The different classes of half-fish are usually determined by pheromones, picked up in your smell. Royals like you have very potent pheromones that make others obey you. Having spent so much time in close quarters with you like this, I'd recognize your smell from a mile away."

"Seriously?" Haruka wasn't sure how he felt about that. He never knew he had such a thing, and he always thought he was relatively clean and smell-free. "How come I don't smell you, then?"

"Because I don't have a strong smell, and therefore, don't have strong pheromones." Ikuya shrugged. "That's why I'm a hunter. My prey doesn't smell me coming until it's too late."

"So if I give you an order, my pheromones will incite you to obey it?"

"Pretty much."

"What else do pheromones dictate with half-fish?" Haruka asked, sitting up.

Ikuya rolled onto his side. "Royals have the strongest pheromones. They make others obey them. The royal guard also has strong pheromones, but theirs are more like, 'I'm dangerous, stay away from me,' which is why they're guards. They keep everyone safe from predators and rogues. Those of us with little pheromone presence are suited to being hunters, as I've explained, and the rest of the population falls somewhere in between. Pheromones are also used to help identify relatives, and often play a part in picking a mate."

"So, the reason I can't smell you is because your pheromones are so weak, but you can smell me from a mile away because I'm royal?" Haruka asked.

"Pretty much," Ikuya confirmed, "though if you really wanted to smell me you'd just have to get close enough."

Curious, and taking that as an invitation, Haruka swam close to Ikuya. He didn't like to admit it, but he once forgot that he could only breathe through his nose when he was in half-fish form and almost drowned in the pool during elementary school. Now, however, he _was_ in half-fish form, and he _could_ breathe through his nose.

"Haru, what-?" Ikuya started backing away, his eyes wide.

Catching him by the hand, Haruka held him still and drew close. Bringing his face in close beside Ikuya's, he pressed his nose into Ikuya's hair and sniffed. The water that he drew into his nostrils was indeed a different smell, and not an unpleasant one, either. It was a warm smell, almost spicy. After another inhale, Haruka pulled away. "You smell like a ginger cookie."

Ikuya stared, motionless, as though frozen in place. After a moment, a visible shiver ran through his body and he shook himself out of it. "I smell like a what?" he asked, his face burning red and his hand coming up to touch the place where Haruka had smelled him.

"A ginger cookie," Haruka repeated. "I'll bring you some later. They're sweet."

"O-oh," Ikuya muttered. He bit his lip and looked away. "Is that… a good smell?"

Haruka smiled gently. He bought them from the store now, but when he was little, his grandmother used to make homemade ginger cookies. "It is," he answered. Holding his arm up to his nose, he tried to catch a whiff of his own scent, but all he could smell was the salt water. "What do I smell like?"

Ikuya didn't need to come close to Haruka to catch his scent. He inhaled deeply from where he was and closed his eyes, pondering for a moment before replying, "I don't really know what to compare it to. It's got the same cold sharpness to it as ice, but it's not the smell of ice. It's not really like anything else I know. It's a good smell, though. At least, I think so."

As Ikuya was describing this, Haruka was watching his face. With his eyes closed, he smiled as he thought about it, and Haruka wondered if he knew he did. While he described it, he had a look of adoration, and Haruka wondered if that was an affect from the pheromones, or if that was how he really felt. When he opened his eyes again and looked at Haruka, the blue-tailed prince felt a pang in his chest.

"I should probably get out and check on some things," he said abruptly, turning towards the shallow end. "I'll bring you something to eat in a little bit."

"Oh," Ikuya said sadly. "Right, I'm sure there are a lot of human things you have to do. You'll be back after dark again, then?"

Haruka felt a knot in his stomach. "Probably." He swam up to the slope and pulled himself out, drying off quickly and hurrying inside. Ikuya's smell still lingered in his nose as he climbed the stairs and went into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, he dropped his towel into a hamper on the floor and stepped in. The warm water washed the salt off of his skin, but that ginger smell remained. Throwing his head back and letting the water hit his face, he wondered why his heart was beating so strongly inside his chest at the thought of it.

Checking his phone after his shower, Haruka found several emails from Nagisa and Rei.

 _Haru-chan, how'd things go after I left? Is everything alright?_

 _Haruka-senpai,_

 _Nagisa-kun told me what happened at the dock. I'm shocked! Is the other half-fish still at your house? Can I come and see?_

 _Rei_

 _Haru-chan, is the other half-fish still there? Are we still okay to have Rin-chan's welcome home party at your place?_

 _Shit._ Haruka looked at the calendar on his phone. Rin was coming home from Australia tomorrow and they were supposed to have a party at his place to celebrate. Under the circumstances, he'd completely forgotten. Everyone who was coming already knew about him being a half-fish, so introducing them all to Ikuya shouldn't be an issue, but he felt like it might be rude to spring this on the poor guy without asking if he was alright with it first.

Rushing down the stairs, Haruka quickly put together some raw fish in a cooler for Ikuya to snack on throughout the day and grilled one up for his breakfast. He was grateful that his internal clock woke him up early most days, since he didn't have an alarm underwater. But he still would have to hurry to make it to training on time.

"Ikuya!" Haruka called, entering the pool area. He watched as the red-tailed half-fish swam up to the edge and poked his head out of the water. "I'm getting ready to leave, but I need to talk to you about something really important first."

"What is it?" Ikuya asked. He took the cooler from Haruka when it was offered and set it to the side.

"An old friend of mine is coming in from far away tomorrow and there was supposed to be a party here, at my house, at the pool," he explained quickly. "I don't want to force you to meet anybody if you don't want to, though, so I need to know if you're okay with that. I can always keep the party in the house if I have to."

"Do all of your friends know about half-fish?" Ikuya asked, his brows coming together in an effort to look concerned.

"Only these four," Haruka replied. "Makoto will be there, and so will Nagisa, the other friend that helped me get you here. The other two are both trusted friends of mine."

Ikuya considered it for only a moment before giving Haruka a grin. "If you trust them, then I will, too."

With a relieved sigh, Haruka grinned back at him. "Thanks," he said. "I have to get going now, I'll be back later."

"See you then!" Ikuya called, waving an arm at him as he left.


	3. An Acquired Taste

When Haruka returned home, tired and sore, he heated up some leftovers and took them out to the pool. Along with his supper, he also carried a box of ginger cookies, which he set down in front of Ikuya as he approached the edge beside where Haruka sat.

"Welcome home," Ikuya said sleepily.

"Thanks," Haruka mumbled. He ate his meal slowly, his eyes heavy with want of sleep. "Were you sleeping?" he asked, noticing that Ikuya was starting to doze.

"No, not yet." The red-tailed half-fish yawned. "What's this?" he asked, poking the box of cookies.

"Those are ginger cookies," Haruka answered him, setting his meal down and picking up the box. He was fairly certain Ikuya wouldn't know that the box was not part of the cookie, so he opened the package and pulled one out. Handing it to him, he said, "Here."

Taking the cookie, Ikuya inspected it curiously. Giving it a sniff, he looked from the cookie to Haruka. "This is what I smell like?" he asked.

"Mhm," Haruka grunted, his mouth full. After he swallowed, he said, "Eat it. It's good."

Looking just a little skeptical, Ikuya licked the cookie, then sniffed it again, before taking a proper bite out of it. He chewed slowly, swallowed, and popped the rest of the cookie into his mouth, chewing slowly again. When he'd finished, he licked his lips. "It was sweet!"

"It's good, right?" Haruka smiled, taking one out for himself. "Not as good as my grandma used to make, but still pretty good."

"I guess that's not such a bad thing to smell like." Ikuya chuckled. "It's way different from anything I've ever eaten before, but I kind of like it."

Haruka offered him another one, which he gratefully accepted. After a few moments of quiet cookie-crunching, Haruka stood up. "I'm going to sleep in my regular bed tonight," he said, fighting back a yawn. "Sleep well."

"Oh, right." Ikuya pouted. "I forgot that you mostly live like a human. I guess sleeping underwater isn't normal for you, huh?"

"Not really," Haruka admitted. "I'll come by in the morning to see you before I go out. I'll be back earlier tomorrow to get ready for the party, so I hope you don't get lonely."

"Don't worry about me!" Ikuya insisted. "I'll be alright. I don't want to be a burden to you, so it's best if you go about life like normal. As long as you remember to feed me, that is." He laughed, but there was sadness in his voice.

"Right." Haruka let out a weak chuckle in return, though he knew Ikuya was only saying that for his benefit.

As he left the pool area and closed the sliding glass door behind him, Haruka felt an ache in his chest. Before putting the cookies away in the kitchen, he took one more out and pressed it to his lips, inhaling the smell through his mouth. The smell of the spices brought bittersweet comfort as he thought about Ikuya being all alone for the night. He was wearing out trying to maintain his regular schedule _and_ spend time with Ikuya, and he knew it wasn't fair to leave him by himself so much. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew he would have to take Ikuya back to the ocean soon.

Haruka was grateful that his training regimen gave him the day off, but he still had to get up early to start the preparations. He had several stores to go to in town, plus he needed to stop by the grocery store and get more fish for Ikuya, and have the decorations up before four when he'd have to leave to meet everyone at the airport for Rin's arrival. He wished he could enlist some help from the others, but everyone had either work or school until just before then.

Haruka's job of decorating was made even harder by Ikuya's constant questioning. "What's that?" he asked, several times, pointing to everything from streamers, to the "Welcome Home!" banner, to the bottles of beer Haruka was shoving in the mini fridge. He felt bad for thinking it, but he was relieved when it was time to leave.

When Haruka met up with Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei at the airport, the first question they all wanted to know was "Is the red-tailed half-fish still in your pool?" After giving them a brief account of the last several days with Ikuya, the conversation changed course. The arrival board showed that Rin's plane was landing and they expected he would be coming out of the terminal soon.

In all of their excitement, no one left Haruka enough time to tell him about recent events until they were already piling into two cars to make the trip out to Haruka's place. Fortunately, Rin chose to ride with Haruka and Makoto, giving Haruka his opening.

"Before we get to my place, Rin, there's something I need to warn you about," he said cautiously.

"Oh?" Rin asked, a sharp grin curving up his lips. "What, did you get a girlfriend while I was gone?"

"You know how I've been doing research on the area to find out where the half-fish live, right?" Haruka asked, ignoring Rin's probing. He was sure he remembered having this discussion over the phone once or twice.

"Yeah?" Rin's grin fell and he stared curiously.

"I… might have kidnapped one out of the ocean, and have him living in my pool right now," he explained weakly. "He's perfectly harmless and I told him everyone was coming over, so it shouldn't be a problem. I just didn't want you to be surprised."

"I think whether I walked in on him or found out about him like this I'd be surprised," Rin retorted. "Damn, Haru, how'd you even manage that?"

"Rei gave him the coordinates," Makoto told him, sure that his friend was tired of talking about it by now. "And then Haru and I went out on a boat and, well, caught him."

"And this other half-fish is just… okay with it?" Rin questioned skeptically.

"Not at first," Haruka replied, "but he's calmed down now."

When they made it to Haruka's house, everyone was itching to get to the pool and meet Ikuya. Nagisa, because finding another half-fish was exciting, Rei, for scientific reasons, and Rin, because he still couldn't believe Haruka had actually _kidnapped a_ _half-fish._

"I'm home!" Haruka called out, stepping into the pool area and letting his friends file in behind him. "My friends are all here."

Swimming up to the edge of the pool, Ikuya poked his head out of the water. "Welcome home," he said to Haruka, then shyly added, "I- uh- I'm Kirishima Ikuya. It's nice to meet all of you."

"Whoa, he's super calmed down now!" Nagisa exclaimed. "I'm Hazuki Nagisa, I helped Haru-chan and Mako-chan bring you here the other day!"

"My name is Ryuugazaki Rei," Rei said, stepping out front and adjusting his glasses. "I was the one who figured out the coordinates where Haruka-senpai should look to find you!"

"You already know Makoto," Haruka said, gesturing to his best friend beside him. "This is Rin, the one we're having the party for."

"Yo," Rin greeted. "Matsuoka Rin. Damn, Haru was really telling the truth. He actually caught a half-fish and brought him all the way here!"

"Nice to meet you all," Ikuya said again. His eyes went from each person to the next, finally resting on Haruka.

"Now that introductions are over, let's get this party started!" Nagisa cheered, stripping off his t-shirt and pants, revealing a swimsuit underneath.

"Nagisa, I have a changing room." Haruka sighed. When he looked, everyone was staring at him. "What?"

"Haru-chan…!" Nagisa choked through laughter. "You… you want me to change… in the changing room… but you always… strip… no matter where you are!"

Haruka's cheeks tinted pink as he caught Ikuya's eye. "Whatever," he mumbled. Taking a towel, he walked into the changing room, emerging moments later with only the towel wrapped around his waist. Settling himself on the edge of the pool, he slid in, letting the towel come loose as his tail appeared.

"Man, it's been a long time since I've seen that." Rin grinned. Taking a small bag with him, he entered the changing room, coming back a few minutes later in his swimsuit. "You up for a friendly race?" he asked daringly, giving Haruka a sideways grin.

"Of course," Haruka replied, taking up his position at the end of the pool. "Ikuya, stay over to the side for a minute," he called.

"Makoto!" Rin smacked his friend on the back as he walked past. "You'll be the judge."

"Sure," Makoto agreed. He took up his position at the opposite end of the pool, near the slope where Haruka climbs out. "Take your marks, get set, GO!"

When Makoto gave the signal, Haruka pushed off from the edge of the pool, while Rin jumped in beside him. He had yet to lose to Rin when he was in this form, but the competitive adrenaline rush he got made it worth entertaining him. In his human form, Rin could really give him a run for his money, but as a half-fish, Haruka finished their friendly race a full length ahead of him.

"Damn, I guess no one can beat you in your own pool," Rin said with a laugh, splashing water at Haruka.

Haruka grinned at Rin, then turned to Ikuya. "Hey, how fast are you?" he asked. "I've never raced another half-fish before."

Without a word, Ikuya swam over to the far end of the pool and took his position. Taking the hint, Haruka did the same, and Rin sat on the slope to watch. After checking that Ikuya was ready, Haruka gave Makoto a nod.

"Take your marks, get set, GO!" he called out again.

Haruka launched himself off the wall of the pool, not holding back against this unknown competitor. He'd seen Ikuya swim, sure, but he'd never seen him go all-out. Not sure if he should be surprised, Haruka could feel Ikuya catching up to him at the midway point, and by the time they reached the finish, Ikuya's reach was at Haruka's hips.

Rin whistled. "Wow. Half-fish are on a whole other level. I'd love to see how you two do in a longer pool!"

"Iku-chan, you're _awesome!_ " Nagisa cheered. "I've never seen anyone come so close to Haru-chan in his half-fish form before!"

"Iku-chan?" Ikuya mocked. "Where does he get off-" he cut himself short and looked at Haruka, hoping he hadn't sounded offensive.

"Don't try to fight it," Haruka advised. "He'll just keep saying it anyway."

Once everyone had changed into their swimsuits and several more races had been done, Makoto started bringing in food from Haruka's kitchen. Nagisa got into the mini fridge and started passing out beers, while Rei and Rin sat in lounge chairs and practiced English pronunciations.

When Nagisa came around to the poolside, offering beer to Haruka and Ikuya, Haruka took one with a thanks, and Ikuya took one with a skeptical look not dissimilar to the one he had when handed a ginger cookie.

"Don't be surprised if you don't like it," Haruka warned him. "It's kind of an acquired taste. And don't be surprised if you start to feel a little funny after drinking it."

"It's not poisoned, is it?" Ikuya whispered. "Why should I feel funny?"

"I don't suppose half-fish in the ocean have much experience with alcohol, do they?" Haruka asked.

"I don't know," Ikuya replied. "What's alcohol?"

"You're about to drink some," Haruka said slyly. He clanked his bottle against Ikuya's and took a long drink. "Beer is a pretty weak alcohol, but if you're not used to it, it can mess you up."

Looking somewhat afraid, Ikuya tipped the bottle into his mouth. His nose scrunched up as the flavor hit him and he forced himself to swallow. "Ugh!"

"You don't have to drink it if you don't want to," Haruka told him, holding back a laugh.

Even if Haruka said that, when Ikuya saw that everyone else was drinking it, he forced himself to take another swallow. "You said it's an acquired taste," he choked. "I can at least try to acquire it."

As afternoon wore into evening, and evening into night, Haruka and his friends managed to polish off all of the food and several cases of beer. When the party had turned into ridiculous levels of silliness, Makoto was the first to call it quits, heading upstairs to the guest room.

"Haru," Ikuya said, forcing another drink of beer into himself. "That funny feeling… is it called a funny feeling because everything seems funny? Cause right now everything is really funny!"

With a chuckle, Haruka steadied the bottle Ikuya was about to spill into the pool (not that one hadn't already gone overboard with Rei in a game of chicken). "I guess so," he said.

"We should race again," Ikuya decided. "My tail feels sooo light right now, I bet I'd win this time!"

"Alright, but before we try it, do me a favor," Haruka said, turning towards the center of the pool. "First, try and swim across to the other side in a straight line."

"Easy!" Ikuya grinned, launching himself towards the other side of the pool. Along the way, he started to sink, then flipped himself onto his side and ended up going towards the shallow end of the pool. When he reached the wall there, he looked behind him, thoroughly confused as to why Haruka wasn't there, then turned to where Haruka actually was when he heard him burst into laughter.

"No way!" Haruka cried. "If I tried to race you like this we'd probably ram into each other and sink!"

"Haruka-senpai, I think perhaps Ikuya-kun has had enough to drink for tonight." Rei hiccupped. "And I think, perhaps, so have I."

"Aww, c'mon Rei-chan," Nagisa whined, "The party's still going!"

"Not for me it isn't, Nagisa-kun," Rei said, stumbling towards the changing room. "I think it's time –hic!- that I retire for the night."

With Makoto and Rei turning in for the night, Nagisa quickly followed, leaving Haruka, Ikuya, and Rin to themselves. "I'm gonna head up soon, too," Rin groaned as he stretched his back. "That was one hell of a long flight."

"Welcome home, Rin," Haruka said, possibly for the third time this evening, though he didn't remember. "I'll sleep down here tonight, so you can take my bed if you want. It's better than the couch."

"Geez, it freaks me out that you can sleep underwater." Rin shuddered. "Anyway, g'night, and watch out for that guy." He pointed to Ikuya, who was swimming in circles in the middle of the pool. "Make sure he doesn't hit his head or something."

"Yeah." Haruka winced at the thought. "G'night."

Swimming over to Ikuya, Haruka waited for him to notice he was there. When he finally stopped and looked at him, his eyes started to shift between looking at him and looking past him. "Haru," he said, putting his hands on either side of his head. "I'm spinning."

"Everyone else is going to bed now," Haruka told him. "We should too."

"Which way is the floor?" Ikuya asked, even though the bottom of his tail fin was touching it.

"C'mon," Haruka said, taking him by the arm and rolling his eyes. He tried to warn him about feeling funny, but Ikuya insisted on keeping up with everyone else. Pulling him down to the deep end, Haruka managed to flip Ikuya onto his side and push him down until he was against the bottom of the pool. "There," he said, drifting down next to him. "Now, go to sleep."

" _You_ go to sleep," Ikuya said, then he burst into laughter. "I shouldn't have said that!" he choked. " _I_ just told the _prince_ what to do!"

"Yeah, yeah," Haruka muttered. As he settled in to go to sleep, he could feel the warmth from Ikuya's body beside him. Even though they had slept beside each other before, it had never been this close. If either of them shifted in their sleep, they could end up bumping each other.

"Goodnight, Haru," Ikuya whispered. "Thanks for letting me meet your friends."

"Goodnight, Ikuya," Haruka responded softly. He curled his arm under his head and closed his eyes, unconcerned when he felt Ikuya's tail brush against his. As he drifted off, his dazed thoughts were that it was strange how fish were usually cold, but half-fish had the warmth of humans. He thought it was strange that Ikuya was warm, but he liked it.

Before Haruka opened his eyes in the morning, he felt warmth pressed against him and instinctually drew closer. He could smell the warm ginger smell of Ikuya close by him, and for a moment, he considered going back to sleep. When he opened his eyes, he found that Ikuya was curled up in the curve of his body, his red tail-fin resting on top of Haruka's blue one and his arms curled into his chest.

Thinking that this wasn't a bad feeling, Haruka was hesitant to move, afraid he might wake his sleeping companion. As he thought about the night before, however, and how much Ikuya had drunk, he realized that it was probably best to put some distance between them. He was certain that if Ikuya were sober, he would deem this highly inappropriate. Gently, he swished his tail fin out from under Ikuya's, and moved away slowly until he was sure he wouldn't disturb him.

From what Haruka could tell above the surface of the water, it was still early, and not likely that any of his friends would be awake yet. Dunking back underwater, Haruka heard a moan come from Ikuya's direction and immediately swam over.

"Are you alright?" he asked, hovering over him.

Clutching his head in his hands, Ikuya shook his head. "My head feels like it's about to split open!" he cried.

"Ah," Haruka breathed. Coming to rest beside Ikuya, he put a hand on his head, allowing his fingers to become entangled in his dark hair. "An unfortunate side-effect of alcohol. You'll be alright in a few hours."

"I feel like I'm going to die," Ikuya moaned. "How do you drink that stuff?!"

"In moderation," Haruka replied bluntly. Running his hand through Ikuya's hair, he laid beside him and continued to pet him. "Try and go back to sleep."

With a nod, Ikuya curled up, allowing Haruka to keep running his fingers through his hair. After a few minutes of occasional whimpers, his body relaxed and he fell back to sleep. Having been lulled himself by the repetitive motion of stroking the other to calm him, Haruka found himself dozing as well.

When Haruka woke this time, it was because of a gasp from Ikuya. When he opened his eyes, he met Ikuya's dark orange eyes, staring at him strangely. As he came to his senses, he realized that, in stroking Ikuya's hair until he fell asleep, his arm had managed to drape itself over the other half-fish. Red-faced, he removed his arm and scooted backwards. "Sorry."

"N-no, it's alright," Ikuya said shyly, his own cheeks blushing. "I was just surprised, that's all."

"How's your head?" Haruka asked, changing the subject.

Ikuya stretched his arms and sat up. "Still hurts, but it's a lot better." Touching his fingers to his hair and looking away, he blushed again. "Thanks."

Haruka nodded and looked at his hand. What was it about Ikuya's hair that was so enticing? he wondered. He noticed the way it moved in the water, it was the first thing he was drawn to when he got close to smell Ikuya's scent, and it was what he played with to comfort him when he was in pain. Shaking it off, Haruka turned his attention to the surface. He wasn't sure how long they had gone back to sleep for, but it was possible the others were already up.

Drying himself off and getting dressed, Haruka entered the main house to find his friends in much the same condition as Ikuya. Aside from offering them all painkillers, the best thing he could think of was to make them breakfast, so he tied on his apron and got to work. Just for Rin, he avoided making mackerel, using bacon and sausage as the proteins instead.

"Man, it's good to be back in Japan," Rin commented, stepping out the front door and catching a whiff of ocean air. "Thanks for the party, Haru. I'll see you around!"

"Tell Gou I said hi," Haruka called after him, waving as the last of his friends left.

Though there were several things Haruka probably _should_ spend his day doing, all he _wanted_ to do after a night like that was take it easy. Despite this, his mind wouldn't let him rest. As fun as it was introducing Ikuya to different human experiences, like cooked food and getting drunk, he knew it would ultimately only make it harder for him to send him home. On top of that, even if his pool was large by human standards, for someone used to having the whole ocean to explore, he could only imagine how cramped it must be. It didn't have any wildlife in it, either. There was nothing to keep him entertained besides himself. Ikuya was a hunter, and he had nothing to hunt.

As Haruka walked into the pool area and started stripping down, he sighed. Sitting on the edge of the pool, he let his legs drop into the water, watching them become his beautiful blue tail. He looked down at his arms and his stomach and noticed the blue scales that appeared in patches there. Holding a hand up to the light, he looked closely at the webbing that now spread between his fingers. It was a body designed for more than just this pool.

"Did everyone leave?" Ikuya asked, raising his head and arms up onto the edge of the pool.

"Yeah," Haruka replied distractedly.

"Are you alright?" Ikuya tilted his head to look at him better. "Does your head hurt?"

"No," Haruka said quietly, shaking his head. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Ikuya commented, pulling himself up to get a better look. "You look sad."

Unable to deny it, Haruka let himself slide into the water. The sound of bubbles rushing past him was momentarily soothing, but it was short lived. Within a few seconds, Ikuya rejoined him underwater. The bubbles were gone, and he was once again being looked at with concern.

"Are you sad because your friends left?" Ikuya wondered.

Haruka shook his head and started swimming towards the deep end.

"Haru, I'm worried about you," Ikuya told him, following behind him. He sped forward to catch up to Haruka, getting in front of him and forcing him to stop. "Please, Haru," he pleaded, his fiery eyes looking up at him through his long eyelashes. "Tell me what's wrong."

Letting out a sigh, Haruka looked away from Ikuya. "I think it's about time I took you back to the ocean." As quickly as the words left his mouth, he regretted saying them. His chest ached at the thought of never seeing Ikuya again, and he felt as though he might throw up.

"Why..?" Ikuya breathed. His eyes blinked rapidly as tears mixed with salt water. "Have I done something wrong?"

Haruka shook his head, still unable to look at him. "No," he replied. "You should be home, with your friends and your family, and all the space you need to swim and explore. Not cooped up in this little pool without anything to hunt or anyone to even talk to all day when I'm not around."

Ikuya reached forward and grabbed Haruka by the wrists. "Then, come with me!" he urged. "Come and see your birthplace, and meet your parents, and see what it's like to be a half-fish firsthand!"

The ache in his chest turned to pangs of desire at the other's touch. Facing Ikuya and breaking his hands free, Haruka leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the red-tailed half-fish, pulling him close. Holding him tightly, he drank in his smell, burying his face into Ikuya's hair. "I can't," he cried.

Without hesitation, Ikuya put his arms around Haruka, clutching him tightly. "Why not?" he whimpered, his voice cracking. "Why?"

Haruka squeezed him tighter. "I can't leave my friends," he rasped. "I can't leave my promises to race Rin. I can't leave my coach and my manager who have worked so hard to get me where I am. I can't leave my parents, who have no other children to look after them when they get old. I can't."

"Then don't make me leave," Ikuya choked. His fingers dug into Haruka's back as he held him, as though he were holding him with all his might. "Let me stay here with you."

"I can't do that, either," Haruka responded, his grip on Ikuya loosening. "I can't make you live like this. It's not healthy and it won't make you happy."

Ikuya's mouth opened to respond, but any words he had left were choked out with sorrow. He wanted to stay. He wanted to be by Haruka's side no matter what. But he was in no position to refuse his prince, so he held him tight and cried into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Haruka whispered. "I should never have brought you here." He pulled his head back to look Ikuya in the eye. Bringing one hand around and leaving the other in the small of his back, he caressed Ikuya's cheek with his thumb. "I'm sorry," he whispered again. He leaned in and placed his lips gently on Ikuya's, kissing him delicately, as though he might somehow break him if he kissed him too hard.

When their lips parted, Haruka pulled away, turning and swimming quickly towards the slope. He scrambled to pull himself up, forgoing a towel and running straight into the house, collapsing halfway up the stairs with his hands over his mouth to muffle his cries. He knew why Ikuya's hair fascinated him. He knew why his warmth comforted him. He knew if he let Ikuya stay with him any longer, he wouldn't be able to let go.


	4. Blessings and Curses

It took the better part of an hour for Haruka to muster the energy to get dressed. When he did, he located his phone, plugging it in to recharge the dead battery. When there was enough juice to turn it on, he went to his email and started to write to Makoto and Nagisa.

 _I think it's time I send Ikuya home. Are you two free to help me tomorrow?_

He read and reread his message, hesitating with his finger over the Send button. With a deep breath, he pressed it. He was pained, but he knew this was what was best for Ikuya.

After passing out on top of his bed, Haruka was woken by a beep from his phone.

 _Sorry, Haru. I have work tomorrow. Don't you have training?_

Makoto was the only one with a boating license, so he couldn't do it without him. Typing up a new email he sent it out to both of them again.

 _How about the day after?_

He didn't care about training. He'd play hooky for one day if everything else lined up.

The next reply came from Nagisa.

 _Haru-chan, I have exams all week! I'm not gonna be able to help you until Saturday. Sorry!_

Haruka stared at his phone and sighed. Rei didn't have his license so he couldn't help drive, plus he'd also have exams around now. He supposed he _could_ get Makoto to drive the van _and_ the boat, but that didn't help him solve the issue of carrying Ikuya, whom he was fairly certain would not be willing and may actually struggle more than he did coming in, between locations. When he wasn't struggling, he was sure he could carry him himself, but in a kiddie pool or a tank or whatever they could use to get him to the dock, it'd take multiple people with the added water weight.

 _I can do Saturday too, if that works for you, Haru._

Sighing, Haruka confirmed the date. He was having a hard enough time convincing himself and Ikuya that this was for the best, much less giving them another week to spend with together. Especially now that he knew he had grown attached in other ways. _Especially_ knowing that Ikuya felt the same.

Knowing that he would have to face Ikuya again eventually, Haruka decided to get it over with before he had a chance to talk himself out of it. When he entered the pool area, Ikuya didn't swim up to greet him, and he wondered if he had even noticed he was there yet. Setting down the cooler of fish, he considered leaving before he was noticed, but he knew doing so would only hurt Ikuya.

As he entered the water, he could see the other half-fish floating near the bottom of the deep end. He looked up at the splash Haruka made, then looked away again, sinking closer to the bottom. Haruka swam towards him, keeping a certain amount of distance between them when he stopped.

"I've made arrangements with Makoto and Nagisa to take you back to the ocean this weekend," he told him. When Ikuya didn't respond, he swam closer. "You'll get to go back to your family and friends again. You can tell everyone you met the prince, and be honored, or whatever."

Ikuya continued making an effort of not looking at Haruka. Dropping down so that he was lying face-down on the bottom of the pool, he covered his head with his arms.

"I know you're mad at me," Haruka said softly. "But will you please say something?"

"What am I supposed to say?" Ikuya asked angrily, lifting his head and at last looking at Haruka. "Of _course_ I miss my family. And part of me _is_ excited to see them again. I just wish I could share it with you." He lowered his head back down to the floor of the pool. "And not just because you're the prince, either."

"Say I _did_ go down there with you," Haruka asked, setting up a hypothetical. "Say I went and saw the kingdom and met my birth parents. Say I met your family and your friends, and tried your food. Say I arranged to have Makoto pick me up after a day or two. Would they let me go? Would _you_ let me go?"

"I guess that depends on if you planned to come back," Ikuya mumbled.

Shaking his head, Haruka sighed. "Who knows how long it would be until I could even do that. Between my schedule and Makoto's, the weather, being aware of other boats in the area, and so many other factors… I might get to visit for one or two days every one or two months."

"It's still better than nothing!" Ikuya snapped. "Haru, I don't think you understand what this time together has _done_ to me. If you send me away knowing I'll never see you again, I could have all of my family around me with all the honor the king and queen can offer and I wouldn't be happy. I'd rather be here, with you!"

"You don't think I understand?" Haruka hissed. Drifting down to where Ikuya was, he grabbed him by the shoulder and flipped him forcefully onto his back, hovering over him with his hands holding the other half-fish's shoulders down. "I'm _desperate_ to keep you here except that I know it's not healthy for you! All you can do here is eat, sleep, and swim in circles. And what would you do when I'm away for competitions? How would you eat? Keep the pool clean? Balance the salt levels? I sometimes go away for _months_ at a time to train. How would you survive?!"

"I don't know!" Ikuya cried. "But I don't know how I'll survive in the ocean without you, either!" Unable to hide himself under Haruka's weight, he bit his lip, hoping to stop himself from crying. Failing that, he writhed until he was free and turned away, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed.

Haruka swam close to Ikuya again and placed a hand on the small of his back as he moved in front of him. "We still have almost a week before my friends are available to help me take you back," he said, a little surprised that Ikuya allowed him to touch him. "Let's not waste it fighting each other."

Ikuya's shoulders sagged. Turning towards Haruka, he tentatively reached his arms out to embrace him. When Haruka's arms opened to reciprocate, Ikuya pressed forward, falling into his embrace, his head resting on Haruka's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

Haruka stayed in the pool that night. Neither he nor Ikuya brought up the subject of going home again; instead, Ikuya, while curled against Haruka's chest, told him softly stories of his experience as a hunter. Softly, because he had little energy to dramatize it. Haruka imagined his stories as epic adventures, only able to dream of what he might do when facing down prey that was bigger than he was.

"Y'know, when y'caugh' me in that net, I was chasin' a dolphin," Ikuya mumbled through a yawn. "When you started pulling up the net, it swam away, and I got caught while chasing it, not realizing the net was there. I ended up dropping my shell… I wonder if anyone's found it."

"Do all half-fish hunters use shells?" Haruka asked, his fingers tracing up and down the side of Ikuya's tail absentmindedly.

"Not all," Ikuya replied. "I use one because that's what my brother uses, and my dad, so that's what I learned with. I like the weight of it in my hand, and if it breaks, it's easy enough and quick enough to sharpen another one. Some attach shark teeth to things, others will use coral."

"So, being a hunter runs in the family?" Haruka wondered. His body grew warm when Ikuya placed his hand on his waist and drew closer.

"Pheromones do," he replied. "My family tends to have low levels of pheromones, so it's easy for us to be hunters."

Haruka's hand stopped moving over Ikuya's tail, coming to rest on his hip. He kissed the top of Ikuya's head and closed his eyes, only halfway paying attention to Ikuya talking about pheromones again. He could smell Ikuya as they continued to draw closer, their bodies pressing together, and he fell asleep with his nose buried in Ikuya's hair.

The first light of morning woke Haruka, who carefully pulled himself away from Ikuya, still asleep beside him. He swam quietly to the shallow end and pulled himself up the slope. Today he had to go back to the real world of training again, which meant early mornings and very little time at home. As he picked up a towel, he wasn't sure if this was a blessing or a curse.

Before Haruka could leave, there was a light splash of water from the pool. "You're leaving?" Ikuya asked. He rubbed his eyes as he barely managed to keep his head above water.

"I have training all week," Haruka replied. "I won't have off again until Friday." Walking over to the pool, he gestured for Ikuya to come to the edge, which he did. Getting down on his knees and bending forward, he kissed Ikuya. "I'll be back after dark. Is there anything you want me to bring you before I go?"

His cheeks lightly turning red, Ikuya shook his head. "I'll be alright as long as I have something to eat."

"Alright, then." Haruka stood and walked to the door, pausing as he opened it. "I'll refill the cooler before I leave. You can go back to sleep."

Haruka's training made the week pass quickly. When Friday came, he still wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse. He'd spent each night in the pool with Ikuya, holding him curled against his chest, listening to him talk about different aspects of half-fish life. He'd kissed him goodbye every morning when he got out of the pool. He wondered if he shouldn't have done those things, but when he considered the sad state he'd be in regardless, he decided that making the most of the remaining time they had together was not something to regret.

Friday morning passed lazily. Haruka slept in, though he still woke before Ikuya. He took that opportunity to watch the peaceful expression on Ikuya's face as he slept. Every once in a while a small stream of bubbles would trickle out of Ikuya's mouth, swirling his hair as they raced for the surface. When the red-tailed half-fish finally woke, he stretched, and yawned, and rolled his head before settling back into place and looking at Haruka.

"Good morning," Haruka greeted him. He pulled Ikuya close and gave him a kiss.

"Good morning," Ikuya said back to him, a small smile brightening his face. "It's nice to wake up and still have you here for a change."

"It's nice to wake up and not have to leave right away," Haruka agreed. "Any special requests for breakfast?"

"Nothing in particular," Ikuya replied.

While Haruka cooked his breakfast, he checked his phone. It was later in the morning than he was used to getting up, and Makoto had already emailed him back from the night before.

 _I get off at four today, so I could meet you at five. Is that too late?_

 _No, that's perfect_. Haruka typed back. _Thanks._

Carrying his and Ikuya's breakfast in to the pool, Haruka grinned at the sight of Ikuya waiting for him on the slope. "Are you that hungry?" he teased.

"I'm that _lonely_ ," Ikuya whined, scooting closer to Haruka as he approached. "Lately, when you're home, you're always near me. I know it sounds stupid, since I get along alright when you're out training, but in the time you were gone getting breakfast I started to miss you."

Setting the plates on the edge of the pool, Haruka descended the slope until his tail returned. "Then I'm afraid you're not going to like what I have to tell you next," he said, handing Ikuya his breakfast. He sat upright on his tail, his torso sticking up out of the water, and picked up his own breakfast.

"Don't tell me you _do_ have to train today?" Ikuya pouted. He positioned himself on his stomach, taking his fish off the plate and putting the plastic disc up out of the water. He didn't know why Haruka kept bringing him those things. He could understand why Haruka used one, to keep the hot cooked food from burning his hands, but he ate his fish raw.

"No," Haruka replied, testing the temperature of his meal with a finger. "I'm meeting up with Makoto after he gets off from work. We'll probably have dinner out, but I'll be back before you go to sleep."

"Oh," Ikuya muttered. He chewed a piece of fish before asking quietly, "Is this about tomorrow?"

Haruka felt a knot in his stomach. Hesitantly, he replied, "Yes."

Ikuya's shoulders drooped and he lowered his face into the water. After a moment, he lifted himself back up. "You know, for a while, I was starting to forget about it." He sighed, his head hanging low. "No, that's not quite right. I think somewhere inside of me I was hoping that you would change your mind and let me stay. Hoping that if I didn't hold back my feelings you'd grow attached and at least promise me you'd come visit. At least give me that much…" his voice broke and he covered his face with his hands.

Setting his plate aside, Haruka sank down beside Ikuya and put an arm around him. "I have grown attached," he admitted. "I've grown very attached. I can't promise I can visit, because I don't know if I can keep that promise. But I can promise that I will always cherish the time we've spent together, and I will always be thinking of you."

Ikuya turned on his side and curled into Haruka's chest, his hands coming up to Haruka's shoulders and holding him. "I'm going to tell you something," he murmured. "Just in case you change your mind. If you ever want to find the half-fish kingdom, from the place where you found me, keep going east until you find a cave. If you swim directly up and over the mountain from the cave entrance, you'll find the opening to the kingdom. It lies in the hollow of the rocks and mountains there, protected from above by a barrier of woven plants."

"It sounds magical," Haruka breathed. He rolled until he was partially on top of Ikuya, his arms wrapped around him, clutching him close to his chest. "I've been living so close to you now that I bet I could find it by following your scent."

"I bet I'd smell you before you smelled me," Ikuya teased. "There's no one in the kingdom who smells the same way you do. Besides, I have a great sense of smell. I can pick up all kinds of scents from far away and track them down when I'm hunting."

"Then, if I ever came to visit, you'd be waiting for me with open arms?" Haruka smiled faintly at the notion.

"If you come visit I'll be in your arms before you even reach the cave," Ikuya promised. His tail brushed against Haruka's and he lifted his head, gently nuzzling Haruka's cheek before kissing him softly. His heart pounded as Haruka's hands moved across his back and he deepened the kiss, his lips parting willingly at the beckon of Haruka's tongue. This was the first time Haruka slid his tongue into Ikuya's mouth, and it surprised him how sensual it was.

As Haruka explored Ikuya's mouth with his tongue, licking and sucking and moving on instinct alone, his hands began to explore his partner's body. He ran them down the length of his back, up the front of his chest, back down his sides to his hips. His body grew hot, but Ikuya's was hotter. One of Ikuya's hands came up to hold the back of his head, his fingers playing with Haruka's hair, and the other slid up and down over his chest, his fingers pressing into his muscles teasingly.

Haruka could feel himself growing hard and hesitated to keep going. Half-fish anatomy kept his genitals hidden inside his body most of the time, but he feared the more he got excited, the more risk there was that things would start to emerge and make things awkward. He wondered if Ikuya was worried about it, too, or if he was ready for it to happen, but he knew he wasn't ready. With a moan and a suction-induced smack, Haruka pulled his mouth back from Ikuya's.

"What's wrong?" Ikuya asked, nuzzling against Haruka's neck.

"That's enough," Haruka murmured back. "I don't want it to go too far." Moving himself off of Ikuya, Haruka took a moment to collect himself. As he looked at his companion, he got the impression that he was disappointed, but he could live easier having disappointed him than if he took things further and still had to leave him in the morning.

When the time came, Haruka left to meet Makoto, promising Ikuya he would return as quickly as he could. The purpose of their meeting was to prepare for the next morning, so they met at the dock. Haruka tended to the water in the hot tub while Makoto refueled and inspected the mechanical aspects of the boat. Once Makoto gave the all-clear, they headed into town for dinner.

"You're sure about this, right?" Makoto asked. "I mean, it seems like you and Ikuya have gotten pretty close."

"Closer than you know," Haruka replied. He sighed and drank down a swig of beer. "I can't let him stay and I can't go with him. What else can I do?"

"Hmm…" Makoto hummed. "I guess you have a point. Being a world-class swimmer keeps you pretty busy as it is, I'm kind of impressed you've managed to take care of him for this long."

"Exactly," Haruka agreed solemnly. "I love him too much to make him suffer alone in that tiny little pool."

"You love him?" Makoto asked, raising his brow questioningly.

With a sigh, Haruka nodded. He wasn't afraid to tell Makoto the truth. "I'm not sure how it started, but once it did, the attraction was too much."

"I see…" Makoto muttered. He appeared deep in thought for a moment before picking up a takoyaki and stuffing it into his mouth. After he swallowed, he sighed. "Does he feel the same, then?"

Haruka nodded.

"And you still want to send him away…"

"If you can think of another way," Haruka grumbled, "tell me. Otherwise I have no other choice!"

"Sorry," Makoto apologized. He took a drink of beer. "This has to be really hard on you. If you want, you can come spend some time at my place so you don't have to be alone after tomorrow."

"The commute to the city is too far from there," Haruka mumbled. "I have to go right back to training on Monday and pretend like nothing happened."

"Haru…" Makoto frowned at the despair in his best friend's voice. He could see the pain in his eyes and it worried him.

Haruka extended the offer to let Makoto spend the night at his place, to make their morning a little easier, but Makoto declined. "You should have that time to be alone with Ikuya," he said. "I'll come at the same time as Nagisa."

When Haruka returned and entered the pool area, he stood for a moment, watching Ikuya swim the length of the pool, his red tail glittering in the underwater lights. He marveled as Ikuya launched himself off the wall at the deep end of the pool, thrusting forward until he reached about the middle of the pool, then spiraled down to the bottom. When he stopped, Haruka could see he was going after a piece of fish.

"I'm home!" he called. Curious about the display he just saw, when Ikuya swam up to greet him, he asked, "Is that how you hunt?"

Red-faced, Ikuya's smile fell. "You saw that?" He sighed. "I was just playing with my food. It… gets kind of boring, I have to admit. But I'd still stay if you'd let me!" The last part was tacked on with great enthusiasm.

Without acknowledging Ikuya's plea, Haruka began to disrobe. As he was undressing, he noticed Ikuya watching him, though when he caught his eye, Ikuya's dinner suddenly became more interesting and he turned away to eat it. Haruka wasn't sure, as he jumped from the edge of the pool, what had fascinated Ikuya; watching him undress because he liked what he saw, or because half-fish didn't wear clothes and it was a novelty.

"Everything is ready for tomorrow morning," Haruka told Ikuya.

"Everything except for me," Ikuya pouted. He held out the remains of his supper in front of him and sighed, sticking it up on the edge of the pool. "Haru, please," he begged, turning to face him. "Don't make me go."

Haruka's heart sank in his chest. "Don't make this harder on me than it already is," he murmured. "You're going back, tomorrow. That's just how it has to be."

Shoulders sagging, Ikuya drifted closer to Haruka, who wrapped him in his arms and pulled him close. "Why did I have to get so attached?" he whined. "Why couldn't I have kept on being mad at you for bringing me here, so that it wouldn't hurt to be sent back?" His arms reached around Haruka's back and he pulled himself up to kiss him.

When Haruka's lips were free, he wondered aloud, "Pheromones?"

Ikuya snorted. "Maybe. Maybe you're so irresistible because we're compatible. Or, maybe you became irresistible when I fell for you… it all happened so quickly I don't even know what was first."

"I don't know, either," Haruka responded. He nuzzled his cheek against Ikuya's and kissed his ear. "We should go to sleep early tonight," he whispered. He wasn't sure if the feeling he got in response was Ikuya nodding in agreement or nuzzling him back.

Despite his dread of what was to come the next morning, Haruka didn't find it difficult to fall asleep once he settled in with Ikuya in his arms. His warmth, his voice, his now all-too familiar spicy smell; it all enveloped him like a soft blanket and comforted him. In a few lucid moments of twilight sleep, Haruka couldn't help but to think that being like this with Ikuya felt like home.

When the first light of morning peaked into the glass pool enclosure, Haruka's eyes were already open. He had gotten pretty good at waking up before Ikuya and leaving the pool without disturbing him, but somehow, the thought of attempting it this time made him nervous. He felt as though, if he could just let him sleep until it was time, it wouldn't be as painful.

Kissing the top of Ikuya's head, Haruka made his move. He heard Ikuya moan and watched him curl up in the place he had been, but he continued to sleep. Slowly, so as not to disturb the water too much, Haruka made his way to the slope and started pulling himself out. When he was able to stand, he could see Makoto and Nagisa through the door, waving at him.

With a towel around his waist, he quietly opened the door, closing it gently behind him. "Thanks for coming," he said.

"Of course," Makoto replied.

"Haru-chan, is Iku-chan ready?" Nagisa asked. He peeked around Haruka to look in at the pool.

"He's still asleep," Haruka replied. "I figured I'd let him sleep as long as he can while we got everything else ready."

"Nagisa and I already added water to the kiddie pool," Makoto told him. "But we thought it might be best if you added the salt, since we're not being chased down by a storm this time."

"Right," Haruka agreed.

Dragging out his time cooking breakfast and getting the kiddie pool _just so_ , Haruka didn't really mind that they were already behind schedule when it was time to get Ikuya. He didn't like that he had to do this at all, but he reminded himself of the silly tricks Ikuya had been reduced to to entertain himself when he was alone, and of his upcoming two-week training session in Tokyo, and he knew it was for the best.

When he entered the pool area, Haruka found Ikuya sitting at the bottom of the pool. "It's time!" he called, hoping for some compliance. When he made eye contact through the water, it was a similar feeling as when he had first brought Ikuya onto the boat. Except, instead of looking pissed, Ikuya looked scared.

"Doesn't look like he wants to go," Nagisa commented.

"He doesn't," Haruka replied flatly. "You two get ready to catch him, I'm going to have to go in."

Jumping in with his towel on, Haruka waited a moment for the bubbles to clear. When he could see Ikuya sitting on the floor at the deep end, he swam over, but Ikuya swam away. Giving chase, Haruka knew he could out-speed him, but he started to lose him when Ikuya began to turn and go another direction, and another, and another. It was starting to feel like a game of Snake, where Haruka was the snake and Ikuya was the dot. Every time he gained on him, Ikuya would be somewhere else.

"You can't avoid me forever!" Haruka called after him.

"Well, I'm not going without a fight!" Ikuya shouted back. "If I don't give it everything I've got, I'll never forgive myself!"

"Ikuya!" Haruka bellowed. He stopped moving and kept his eyes on the red-tailed half fish as he continued to dart as far from him as he could get. "Stop running away from me!"

As though a switch had been flipped, Ikuya stopped. He remained still as Haruka approached. "Damn it," he cursed.

"I know you don't want to, but it's time to go," Haruka said more gently. He took Ikuya by the arm and pulled him along beside him to the shallow end of the pool, where Makoto and Nagisa were waiting for them. He pulled himself and Ikuya as far up the slope as he could on his own, then relinquished his grip on Ikuya once Makoto was able to get behind him and catch him under the arms.

"Iku-chan, please don't be mad at Haru-chan," Nagisa said sympathetically. "He's just trying to do what's best for you."

"Shut up," Ikuya muttered, not lifting his head to look at anyone.

Quickly, Haruka got dressed, then took over for Makoto, grabbing Ikuya from under the arms. With a nod to his friends, he hoisted the red-tailed half-fish out of the water and carried him, Makoto ahead of him opening doors and Nagisa beside him splashing Ikuya with water from a bucket. Outside, the back of a rented van was already open, the kiddie pool inside much more heavily fortified with a makeshift barrier of flexible plastic to keep the water from sloshing out. It only added about a foot in height to the wall of the kiddie pool, but it was better than nothing.

"In we go," Nagisa said, helping Haruka lift Ikuya into the van. When they reached the kiddie pool, Nagisa helped get Ikuya's tail in while Haruka lowered him over the barrier.

"Sorry it's so small," Haruka apologized. He sighed; Ikuya wouldn't even look at him.

By the time they reached the dock, it was late enough in the morning that all of the serious fishermen had already set off. A few stragglers hung around near the end with fishing poles and crab pots, ready to make their catch right off the dock. With a little help from Nagisa's enthusiastic questioning, Haruka and Makoto were able to slip behind them and get Ikuya onto the boat and into the hot tub.

"Haru-chan, Mako-chan, have fun!" he called, waving them on once he knew they were safe.

Waving back, Makoto pulled the boat out of the dock and set course for the same coordinates where they had picked Ikuya up from. Haruka sat on the deck near the hot tub, watching the water to see when they were clear of other boats. Once they were, he took the tarp off the top of it and checked on Ikuya.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Miserable," Ikuya complained.

Haruka sighed. "Me too," he admitted. He reached out his hand and ran his fingers through Ikuya's hair. "I knew nothing would be the same when I finally met another half-fish," he said wistfully. "But I didn't realize it would be like this."

"I knew somewhere out in this big world there was a prince a long way from home," Ikuya added. "I never imagined I'd not only find him, but fall for him, too." He put his hand on Haruka's and brought it down in front of his mouth, kissing his fingers. "Nothing will ever be the same," he murmured.

When the boat came to a stop and Makoto came out to drop anchor, Haruka's stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots. When he heard Makoto say, "We're here," he felt as though he might throw up.

"Haru, please," Ikuya begged. He held Haruka's hand in both of his and looked at him with pleading, fearful eyes. "It's not too late, we can go back and I can live in your pool for a little while longer!"

Haruka couldn't speak. He couldn't bring himself to look Ikuya in the eye any longer. Catching Ikuya under the arms, he pulled him up. Taking him in his arms, he carried him to the side of the boat. He could see Makoto watching sadly from beside him, ready to help if Ikuya struggled, and he was grateful that he wasn't doing this alone.

"Haru, please!" Ikuya cried. "Please don't make me go!"

Holding him out over the water, Haruka felt tears drip from his chin and wondered when he had started to cry. "I'm sorry," he choked.

"Haru!" Ikuya wailed, but his voice was lost to the splash of the water as he was let go.

Haruka fell to his knees and covered his face with his hands. "Ikuya!" he cried.

There was a splash and a thud, and when Haruka looked up, he saw Ikuya clinging to the side of the boat. "Haru!" he cried. His face was red and his eyes were bloodshot. "Please!"

Standing, Haruka leaned down and kissed Ikuya, taking in a long drink of his warm ginger smell and tasting the salt water on his lips. "I love you," he said, caressing his cheek and kissing him again. "I love you more than anything. So please, do as I say." He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. "Go back to your people. Tell them you found me, tell them I'm doing well, and stay where you belong."

"Is that an order?" Ikuya whimpered.

"It is." Haruka felt Ikuya slip out of his caress as he said it and watched him sink under the water. He caught a glimpse of red flickering beneath the surface, heading east, and knew Ikuya had left. With a shudder, his legs gave out from under him and he collapsed on the deck of the boat. He didn't realize time was passing around him until Makoto placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We're back."


	5. Reunion

A drawn-out sigh deflated Ikuya as he rested against the sandy ocean floor. He could tell his mother was coming, again, to check on him, for what must've been the third time in as many hours. "Go away," he whined.

"Ikuya," his mother cooed. "Won't you at least come eat with us? Your brother is bringing the kids over."

"Maybe next time," Ikuya mumbled, turning his head into the sand.

His mother swam up next to him and touched a hand to his shoulder. "It's been weeks," she said, her brows furrowed. "How long are you going to isolate yourself? Natsuya, your own older brother, had a little baby girl while you were gone, and you still haven't even been out to meet her. Now, he and Nao are bringing the kids over, and I expect you to at least come out and say hello."

"We'll see," Ikuya grumbled. "I'm not really in the mood."

"Ikuya…"

"Ikuya!" It was Natsuya's voice. "Ikuya!" Swimming around the boulder Ikuya was hiding behind, Natsuya appeared, barreling towards him urgently. "There you are! Come quick!"

"What?" Ikuya asked, resisting as his brother tried to tug him by the arm. Taking in water for a sigh, his body shuddered- that cool, sharp smell... "Haru..?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you!" Natsuya tugged him again, this time successfully rousing him. "The prince is coming home!"

Ikuya looked at his brother with widened eyes. "Haru is coming _here?_ " he asked, mouth hanging open. Darting past his brother, Ikuya wound his way around the rocks he called home and into the open space beyond. He could see a bunch of other half-fish of all ages and occupations gathering near the entrance to the kingdom and charged forward. Haruka's smell was growing stronger. There was no mistake, he was close by.

"Make way!" a royal guard bellowed into the crowd.

Ikuya looked up and saw the king and queen approaching the jagged entry, everyone around them suddenly backing off and bowing. Continuing forward, he heard royal guards around him shouting orders, but he ignored them. It took every fiber of his being not to stop when told, but the last time he had done that, he was separated from the one he loved, and he wasn't going to risk it again.

"You, with the red tail!" A guard behind him was in pursuit. His path was about to intersect the king and queen's, but the smell of his beloved Haru was so _so_ close now. "Stop, that's an order!"

"I have a promise to keep!" Ikuya shouted back, dodging out of reach of the guard as he lunged for him.

"Let him be."

Ikuya turned to see the king holding out his hand to stop the guards. He and his queen had also stopped, and the crowd around Ikuya began to clear.

"He's the one who brought us the good news that our son still lived," the king went on. "He should be the first to welcome him home."

With the king's blessing, the path before Ikuya was clear, and he swam out the entryway into the open water above the cave. He paused, seeing Haruka only feet away from the cave beneath him, staring at him with shock. In a heartbeat, Ikuya swam into him, nearly sending them both spinning as he grabbed him in his arms and cried.

"Haru!" he sobbed, clutching him and taking in his warmth. "I told you I'd have you in my arms before you reached the cave!"

"I'm here," Haruka whispered. He buried his face in Ikuya's shoulder and held him. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too," Ikuya whimpered. "I've missed you more than words can describe!"

After a moment that passed all too quickly, Haruka let go of Ikuya. He could see a crowd of half-fish gathered at the place where Ikuya had come darting out from, all staring at him, whispering amongst themselves and pointing. Bringing his attention back to Ikuya, he kissed him, far more chastely than he wanted to so as not to appear indecent in front of the crowd. "Let's go. I want you to show me all the things we've talked about."

Hand-in-hand, Haruka swam at Ikuya's side, his heart throbbing in his chest. He wanted to hide away with Ikuya and kiss him properly, and hold him closer, and longer, and just be together with him, but he knew as the "missing prince" he had to make his appearance first.

"Nanase Haruka," a male half-fish with a deep blue tail and scales over most of his arms and torso swam out ahead of the crowd. A female, her tail an almost lavender-blue, with scales in a pattern around her stomach and forearms, followed close behind him. They both had the same dark hair and blue eyes as Haruka. "That is the name you go by now, isn't it?"

"It is," Haruka replied. He and Ikuya stopped with a good amount of distance between them and the king and queen.

"Kirishima Ikuya, whom you seem to know well, has told us many things about you," the king went on. "I suppose you've come here for his sake?"

"Yes," Haruka replied. He squeezed Ikuya's hand. "I came because I love him."

The king closed his eyes and nodded. "Haruka, there is no doubt in my mind that you are my son," he said, his voice breaking. "I've been hoping for your return for twenty-one years." He paused, his queen putting her hand on his shoulder. "I understand from Ikuya that you have a life and obligations in the human realm that prevent you from living here. Tell me, how long can you stay?"

Glancing beside him, Haruka could see that Ikuya was looking at him eagerly as well. "Two days," he said softly. He could feel the disappointment of everyone around him. He would stay longer if he could, but it would be another week before Makoto was available to pick him up again, and he couldn't just disappear from training for that long without someone growing suspicious.

"I see," the king replied, patting his wife's hand with his own. "In that case, would you and Ikuya both come with me?"

The king and queen led Haruka and Ikuya into the kingdom. From the jagged entrance, Haruka could see a wide open area, rather, an area that might normally be wide open were there not a crowd all around, and there were several openings between boulders and rocks that appeared to be like avenues leading to what he could only assume from his lessons from Ikuya were homes, schools, workshops, and storage spaces. One large crevice smelled distinctly like fish and he inferred that it was there that the hunters deposited their kills, at least, the ones they didn't keep for their own families.

Continuing straight back from the entryway, over several large boulders, Haruka could see the peak of another underwater mountain. In the side of it there was a cave buzzing with what appeared to be royal guards. He could only really tell by their spears- some looked like they were fashioned from driftwood, others looked like bones, and some others appeared to be pieces of coral tied together with some kind of plant. Otherwise, they looked just like everyone else, not that Haruka didn't have to get used to what everyone else looked like. Sure, he was used to being around other guys without shirts, but even the half-fish women were topless. Clothing didn't seem to be a part of their culture.

Swooping down from the peak of the mountain, Haruka noticed the web-work of plants Ikuya had told him about that covered the kingdom like a canopy. He could see through the gaps that there were fish and other sea creatures swimming above it, but none of them dared to come down into the half-fish kingdom. Some of the plants even glowed, helping lend some light to the otherwise dark ocean. His half-fish eyes allowed him to see in the lowlight conditions, but it was still going to take getting used to.

"This is our palace," the king said, extending his arm to welcome Haruka and Ikuya into the cave first.

Swimming inside, Haruka noticed quite a few bioluminescent patches lining the walls like lamps. The cave broke off into various corridors along the way, with guards swimming by occasionally, bowing as they passed. At the end of the main hall, the king led them into what Haruka guessed was the half-fish equivalent of a throne room. It was an open cavern with shelf-like spaces carved into the mountain walls holding various objects like trophies. Some were skulls of various sea creatures, some were human trinkets that must have drifted down, and others were carved sculpture-like objects. There was a hole in the roof that went up for a long, long way, making Haruka wonder if it came to an opening, as there seemed to be considerable plant life growing around it.

"Haruka," it was the queen speaking to him this time. She came close to him and smiled, a look not dissimilar to the kind he would get from his adoptive mother. "When you were lost as a baby, my whole world came crashing down around me. To see you now and know that you have a life that makes you happy means everything to me."

"I hope it makes you happy to know," Haruka said, choking back tears, "that I have a very successful life in the human world. I'm one of the fastest swimmers in the world to them, and because of that, I'm respected and admired. I have everything I could ever need to be happy and comfortable. Except, I always wanted to know about my heritage- where I came from, who I came from. And when I finally had that, I realized there was one other thing I needed to be happy." He looked at Ikuya and smiled.

"Haruka," the king said, coming to be beside his queen. "You were happy when Ikuya was with you in the human world, weren't you?"

"I was very happy," he replied, his eyes still on Ikuya. "And very sad, because I knew it wouldn't last."

"What are your plans now?" the queen asked. "You've come back for him, are you planning to take him with you?"

Shaking his head, Haruka looked back at his birth parents. "I can't," he replied despondently. "But I couldn't stand not seeing him, either. I'll just have to come visit whenever I can."

The king and queen looked at each other and smiled. "You know, we don't have to worry about our heir anymore," the queen said to her mate, putting her hand below her stomach, which Haruka noticed was looking a little distended. "What do you think?"

The king nodded. Turning to the two young men, he asked, "Would it make you happy if both of you could live together in the human world?"

"Yes!" Ikuya breathed, then covered his mouth and blushed. "I-I mean, if that's alright with Haru."

"But, I can't keep Ikuya cooped up in a little swimming pool for the rest of his life," Haruka argued, feeling the familiar pains of decision he had faced before.

"I'm not talking about that," the king told him. "I'm talking about making Ikuya royal. Making him like you, so that he can also become human on land."

"You can do that?" Haruka asked.

Beside him, Ikuya's face turned bright red. "D-do you mean-?"

"Haruka, how do you think royals continue the blood line?" the queen asked. "There aren't enough of us to mate with without having inbreeding. You see, when a royal takes a non-royal as a mate, their mate _becomes_ royal."

Haruka felt his face flush. "By mate, you mean..?"

"Much like how same-sex mating can cause biological changes in a partner to become capable of having children," the king explained, "biological changes occur with any non-royal who mates with a royal. If you can't be happy without each other, then I think the answer here is clear."

Haruka could feel Ikuya's pulse through his hand and wondered what he thought of it all. "Did you know about that?" he asked quietly.

"The king and queen were mated before I was ever born," Ikuya muttered. "I never really thought about it, I never thought anything about royals would concern me."

"It's a big decision," the queen said, placing her hand on her husband's shoulder. "Half-fish mate for life. You'll be changing Ikuya's biology forever."

"Think it over for now," the king agreed. "But know it is an option, and if it will make you happy, know that you have our blessing."

"Thank you," Haruka said, bowing.

The king and queen laughed. "You don't have to bow to us!"

"O-oh," Haruka blushed. "It's not just that. It's a sign of respect in the human world, for anyone, so I just-"

"Thank you." The king grinned. "It overwhelms me to finally meet you again, after all this time. For now, you should go and be with Ikuya. He's the one you really came here to see, after all. Just promise me this," his grin morphed into a sad smile. "Promise me you'll come see us again before you go, whatever you decide."

"I will," Haruka promised. "Of course I will."

Still holding Ikuya's hand as they left the palace, he paused for a moment outside of the cave. "What do you think?" he asked, turning to face him. "Do you think you could be happy living as a human?"

Ikuya touched Haruka's face and kissed him. "If it means I don't have to be separated from you again, I'd do anything."

"Even if it meant you wouldn't get to see your family very often?" Haruka asked, stealing a kiss for himself before letting Ikuya respond.

"I already told you before," Ikuya reminded him, "I was willing to live in that pool just to stay with you." He closed his eyes and rested his head on Haruka's shoulder. "You don't know how miserable I've been without you," he murmured.

"I do know," Haruka responded in a low voice, putting his arms around Ikuya. "Everyone kept asking what was wrong with me, and I could only talk about it with Makoto. My coach finally gave me a couple of days off just to clear my mind, and that's when I came here. I _had_ to see you again."

"I guess that settles it, then," Ikuya decided.

After a few moments more, Ikuya pulled himself free of Haruka's grip and took him by the hand again, leading him back to the rest of the kingdom. The crowd had dispersed somewhat, making it a little easier navigate. He led him down one of the avenue-like passages and around several settlements until he stopped in front of one particular cluster of rocks.

"This is home," he said, leading Haruka around to the side where an opening was covered in seaweed. Pushing the plants aside, he let Haruka enter first, catching several jealous looks from his neighbors.

As Haruka entered, he caught several half-fish by surprise in what appeared to be the middle of a meal. When Ikuya came in behind him, he swam between them, a big smile on his face.

"Everyone, this is Haru," he introduced, gesturing to Haruka. "Haru, this is my mom, my dad, my older brother Natsuya, his mate Nao, and their kids," he said, gesturing to everyone as he went.

"S-so you're the prince," Ikuya's mother stammered. Moving aside, she gestured for him to gather around where everyone else was. "Would you like to join us for supper?"

"Thank you," Haruka agreed, awkwardly squeezing in between the older of the two children and Ikuya, who switched places with his father. What everyone was gathered around, he could now see, was a large fish, though he couldn't identify what kind at this point.

"Sorry if you don't like it," Ikuya apologized. "I know you're used to cooked food."

"Ikuya," Natsuya said with a grin. "I hope you don't mind, I put the baby down for a nap in your corner."

"The baby!" Ikuya realized. "I've been so depressed I haven't even seen the baby! How is she? Is she perfect?"

"She's better than perfect," Nao said happily. "And as long as Natsuya keeps catching things like this," he gestured to their meal, "she'll grow up fat and happy."

Haruka tried not to stare, but he wanted to get a good look at Natsuya and Nao. To the human eye, they both appeared male, so this had to be an example of that biological change he kept hearing about. He wanted to figure out which of them was the "mother" of the children, but in the dim lighting, he couldn't distinguish any kind of feature that might give them away.

Though he didn't eat much, Haruka enjoyed the company of Ikuya's family. It didn't take them long to warm up to him, even though at first they were tiptoeing on formalities. He learned that Natsuya and Nao had been together for five years and just had their third child six weeks ago. He learned that Nao was the one to carry the children, and learned more about the customs of choosing a mate and how being a royal affected his relationship with his mate differently.

"The king and queen gave their blessing for Haru to mate with me," Ikuya said incredulously, as though he couldn't believe it. "I'd become royal and could live on land with Haru."

"I remember when the queen was still a princess and chose her mate," his mom reminisced. "He was a guard. She would be seen going around with him all the time, and then one day, quietly, without an official announcement or anything, he showed up with all these royal scales and that was that."

"You never really showed much interest in finding a mate before," Ikuya's father noted. "Why now?"

Ikuya drew closer to Haruka. "I love him."

"You certainly were a sorry sack when you came back from being with him," Natsuya teased. "I was starting to think you'd sprout legs out of sheer depression just to be with him again."

"Shut up," Ikuya muttered.

"Now, now," Nao soothed. "I think this is wonderful. The queen just announced her pregnancy a few weeks ago, so the issue of an heir has finally been resolved, and Ikuya has the chance now to become royal and start a family."

"St-start a fam-family," Ikuya stuttered. The color drained from his face as he looked away from everyone. "I don't know if I'm ready for _that_ yet."

"Ready or not it could happen anyway," Natsuya shrugged. "Mating with Haru means you can go live with him on land, but it also means you could get pregnant."

"I wonder how that would work," Ikuya's mother pondered. "If he got pregnant and then tried to turn human."

"Has any royal ever tried it before?" Natsuya asked.

"Dunno," his father replied.

"Enough of that!" Ikuya's face went red. "If it means I can be with Haru I'll have his babies, sure. Just… stop talking about it when we haven't even, y'know, made anything official yet."

Haruka felt his own face grow warm and cleared his throat. "If I make Ikuya my mate," he said nervously, "it would mean he might not get to come back here very much. Would you all be okay with that?"

Looking around him, the facial expressions were varied. Ikuya's parents both wore bittersweet smiles, Natsuya looked upset, and Nao seemed more worried about Natsuya than he did the question at hand. The first verbal response came from the oldest of Natsuya and Nao's children.

"Does that mean Uncle Ikuya won't be able to play with me anymore?" he asked, his eyes getting red.

"Daisuke," Nao said soothingly, "it would mean a lot less play time with Uncle Ikuya, yes, but then when he does come visit, he'll be royal. And someday in the future, he might be bringing cousins for you to play with, too."

"Do you understand, Daisuke?" Natsuya asked. "Ikuya loves Haru as much as I love Papa. You wouldn't want to see us separated, would you? It's the same with them."

Daisuke looked between his fathers and started to cry. "Then why can't Uncle Haru stay here with us?" he wailed.

Ikuya ruffled his nephew's hair. "Daisuke, I have friends there now, too. Haru doesn't know anyone here but me. And especially as a royal, it would be hard for him to make friends here. Everyone would treat him specially, and he doesn't want that."

"That's right," Haruka added. "Here, I'd be respected because of what I was born. In the human world, I'm respected because of what I've accomplished. I don't want people bowing to me. I just want to be normal."

"Do you promise you'll bring me cousins to play with?" Daisuke whimpered.

"He can't promise something like that," Nao chuckled. "C'mon, I think I hear Reiko waking up. Let's go check on her, hm?"

"Okay," Daisuke pouted.

"Sorry about that," Ikuya said sadly. "I spent a lot of time babysitting him and we've always been close, so it's probably going to be hard for him to understand why I have to leave."

After taking Haruka on a tour of the kingdom, Ikuya hesitated outside the avenue that led to his home. "Y'know, if we go back to my place, there's no privacy," he said sheepishly. "If you want, we could spend the night out, and, well, see how things go?" He looked at Haruka nervously.

Aware of the many onlookers around them now, and certain what Ikuya said about his place was true, Haruka nodded. "Okay," he agreed. "See how things go."

With a blush and a smile, Ikuya pulled Haruka by the hand to the entryway. "I know just the place," he said, taking him out of the kingdom. "It's a little out of the way, but that's what makes it perfect for privacy."


	6. A Permanent Change

_This chapter has been censored to comply with this site's policies. You can read it uncensored on AO3. Yeah, it looks really stupid this way, sorry._

* * *

The place where Ikuya led him ended up being the resting place of two sunken fishing boats. They had been largely overtaken by plant life and barnacles, but the space between them was open, with a soft, sandy floor. As Haruka followed Ikuya down into the cozy little niche, he realized that the plants that were growing on the boats offered considerable privacy.

"My brother and I used to come play here as kids," Ikuya told him, settling in on the sand. "We used to go into the boats and pick through the human stuff. Now it's kind of a nice little hiding place, just big enough for two."

"It _is_ private," Haruka commented, drifting down beside Ikuya. "Do half-fish generally not leave the kingdom?"

"Oh, they do," Ikuya said. Shrugging, he added, "but when they all heard that the prince was coming, I'm pretty sure everyone wanted to catch a glimpse, and at that point there were more exciting things to do than go exploring or hunting or whatever."

"Huh." Haruka opened his arms and let Ikuya nestle in close to him. "It almost feels like we have the whole ocean to ourselves," he murmured.

"I guess it does," Ikuya grinned. Pressing his body against Haruka's, he kissed him, immediately opening his mouth as an invitation.

Despite Ikuya's eager attempts to coax his tongue out, Haruka first spent some time playing with his lower lip. Sucking it between his own, licking it, very gently running his teeth over it. His hands pressed into Ikuya's back, and Ikuya's hands moved up and down his chest. When he felt that he had sufficiently teased Ikuya's lower lip, he pulled back a little to realign himself and went in with his tongue. Slowly dragging his tongue along Ikuya's, he relished the moan it elicited and did it again.

Rolling on top of his lover, Haruka kept his arms under him for support, pulling himself as close to him as possible. As he ran his tongue along the roof of Ikuya's mouth, he could smell the warm ginger smell he had missed so much filling his head with desire, and he felt himself growing hard. This time, however, he was not afraid to let it happen; he gently thrust his pelvis against Ikuya's and was delighted by the gasp from his partner.

"Haru," Ikuya breathed, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Haruka moaned, thrusting again. [Censored]

Ikuya slid one hand down from Haruka's chest [Censored].

"Do you know how to do it with another male half-fish?" Ikuya asked, nuzzling against Haruka's cheek.

"Now that you mention it-" Haruka gasped as Ikuya began to [Censored]. "Not really."

Wriggling out from under him, Ikuya sat up. Pulling apart the slit where his cock was protruding, he pulled the skin below his cock down. "By now I know you know that this is where the poop comes out," Ikuya said bluntly, pointing to a small hole that Haruka was indeed familiar with. Pointing to another hole a little further below that one, he blushed. "This one is for sex," he mumbled. "Once we mate that way there's no going back. My biology will change so that I can have kids, and I'll be yours forever."

"If we did it the other way, then," Haruka speculated, "I'd be the one going through changes?"

"Under normal circumstances, yes," Ikuya replied hesitantly. "Non-royal male/male couples can decide which one of them is going to bear the children, but since you're royal, well, your pheromones… hormones… you wouldn't change unless another male royal did it. I could do it and nothing would change."

"I'm not sure I get it," Haruka mumbled. "What would happen if two females wanted to mate?"

"I'll tell you about that another time," Ikuya grumbled. "Just focus on me for now."

Haruka grinned and locked his eyes on Ikuya's. "Tell me what you want," he said, his eyes narrowing as he drew close again.

Ikuya closed his eyes and kissed Haruka. "Touch me," he begged. "Please."

With a grin, Haruka reached down and [Censored]. He could feel [Censored] and he moaned.

"Haru," Ikuya whined. "T-touch me _there._ " He used his hand to gesture to the hole where Haruka would soon be mating him.

With one hand holding the back of Ikuya's head, Haruka [Censored].

"Yeah, like that," Ikuya panted. His arms came up around Haruka's neck and he pulled himself up for a kiss.

"Does it feel good?" Haruka asked, [Censored].

"Yeah," Ikuya moaned.

[Censored] "And this?"

"Yeah!" Ikuya cried. His eyes were closed tightly as he focused on everything he was feeling.

Giving Ikuya a sloppy kiss, Haruka [Censored]. "Are you ready to be mine forever?"

"Yes!" Ikuya moaned. "For fuck's sake, Haru, yes!"

Grinning widely, Haruka tried to kiss Ikuya again, but it was more teeth than lips. "I love you," he whispered. Withdrawing his fingers, he gave himself a couple of pumps before [Censored]. "Alright, here we go," he grunted, [Censored].

"Ah!" Ikuya cried out. His grip around Haruka's neck tightened.

"Are you alright?" Haruka asked, pausing [Censored].

"I'm okay," Ikuya breathed. "Just… start slow… okay?"

Trying not to move his hips, Haruka pulled himself down to kiss his beloved. "Whatever makes you feel good," he whispered. [Censored]

"Okay," Ikuya panted. "You d-don't have to- to hold back anymore."

Putting both arms behind Ikuya's back and holding him close, Haruka began to [Censored]. "Is this okay?" he asked, only getting a gasp and a head nod in return. Bringing his hands down to Ikuya's hips, he held him steady as he [Censored]. The warm ginger smell was all around him now; he could practically taste it.

"M-more," Ikuya gasped, and Haruka complied.

[Censored]

Haruka drifted down onto the sand beside Ikuya and welcomed him as he nestled in close to snuggle. "I love you," he panted.

"I love you, too," Ikuya mumbled, muffled by having his face pressed against Haruka's chest. Leaving a trail of kisses as he went, he drifted up to meet Haruka's eyes. "I love you more than anything in the world."

In the morning, Haruka was the first one to wake, not that that was unusual. Looking down at Ikuya sleeping curled against his chest, he smiled. As he watched his mate sleep, he could see on his forearms some glints of red. Kissing the top of Ikuya's head, he started rubbing his back in a gentle attempt to wake him.

"Mornin'," Ikuya mumbled. He yawned and stretched, going through his usual routine, then settled back into the curve of Haruka's body.

"Are you feeling royal yet?" Haruka teased, having already seen the patches of scales that appeared on Ikuya's body when he stretched.

"Do I _smell_ royal?" Ikuya wondered, reaching an arm out and admiring the little patches of red.

"You smell the same to me," Haruka replied, "but I'm not really sure how it all works anyway."

"I need to find someone who is not you and try giving them an order," Ikuya giggled. He lifted his head and gave Haruka a kiss.

When Haruka and Ikuya returned to the kingdom, there were quite a few odd looks, but the formalities were in place at all times. Wherever they went, people bowed at them. Even when they made it back to Ikuya's place, upon seeing her son, his mother bowed and beamed proudly at them.

"Congratulations," she said, swimming over and taking a good look at her son's new scales. "My baby boy is all grown up."

"Mom…" Ikuya grumbled.

Haruka chuckled. He wondered how his parents would respond to it all, since they didn't even know he'd met another half-fish yet. They knew he _wanted_ to meet another half-fish, so, he reasoned, they would probably not be surprised. As free-spirited as they were, he couldn't imagine they'd take an issue with their union, either.

"I guess this means you'll be leaving with Haru?" Ikuya's mother asked, her excitement beginning to fade. Even though she was smiling, there was sadness in her eyes.

"Yes," Ikuya replied. His eyes reflected the same sadness when he looked at his mother, but when he turned to Haruka, they brightened. "He can't get rid of me now even if he tried."

"I would never try that again," Haruka promised. "I missed you so much my coach sent me home from Tokyo three days early because I was too depressed to concentrate. I didn't stop thinking about you for a single moment."

Ikuya's mother looked at Haruka with a smile, the sadness in her eyes changing to something else. "I know you'll take good care of him," she said, "but don't forget about us down here. I know it might be a rare occasion, but please, come visit us sometimes."

"Of course," Haruka agreed. "There may be times when I have to go away where Ikuya can come stay here until I get back."

"I don't just mean Ikuya," Ikuya's mother corrected him. "I want to see you, too. You're part of the family now."

"That's right," Ikuya agreed. "Family is a big deal. You'll have to come see everyone, too."

Reluctantly agreeing, Haruka excused himself, taking Ikuya with him. They could come back later when more of the family was around and go through it all at one time instead of having to repeat things several times over. For now, he wanted to go to the palace and let the king and queen- his parents- know.

As soon as they were within sight of the royal family, the queen gave her mate a knowing look, then turned to face Haruka and Ikuya with a smile. "Congratulations," she said to Ikuya.

"Th-thank you," Ikuya stammered back.

"I have to leave in the morning," Haruka told them. "I wanted to be sure Ikuya could come with me."

The king grinned. "He must make you very happy."

"I found that I couldn't be happy without him," Haruka admitted boldly. He glanced beside him and caught Ikuya blushing.

"Knowing that you are alive, and that you're living a happy life, is our greatest joy," the queen said tearfully. Her eyes grew red as she looked on at her son and his mate. "I'm so glad you've found someone who makes you happy."

"Thank you," Haruka replied.

After spending some time with the king and queen, Haruka and Ikuya returned to Ikuya's home for supper. Natsuya and Nao were back with the kids, and Ikuya's father had returned as well. They had all heard about it from Ikuya's mother already, but there was still a considerable amount of congratulations and admiration going around.

"You're leaving soon, right?" Natsuya asked, his tone light but his eyes dark.

"In the morning," Ikuya replied. He had taken over now, since Haruka's social limitations were being pressed.

"Will you ever come back and visit?" Nao wondered.

Ikuya nodded. "I'll probably be back more often than Haru, but I'll be sure to drag him down here sometimes as well."

"That's good." Natsuya's eyes lightened as his mood lifted. "Who knows, maybe soon you'll even be bringing along a new little niece or nephew for us all to coo over."

"M-maybe," Ikuya stammered, his face glowing red. "N-not that I'm particularly ready to try for it!"

"Don't be afraid," Nao soothed him. "The first one _seems_ scary, but it's totally worth it. Most of the things you'll freak out about will never amount to anything."

Unsure how he felt about the direction of the conversation, Haruka kept his mouth occupied by chewing, pointedly avoiding joining the discussion. He and Ikuya were only just getting themselves together, much less adding in a baby to the mix. No, he was pretty sure it was too soon to want that.

The sleeping arrangements at Ikuya's place were not exactly private. Settling for a goodnight kiss, Haruka made himself comfortable and waited for Ikuya to curl up against his chest the way he usually did, then wrapped his arms around his mate. Despite being able to see and hear Ikuya's parents from where they rested, Haruka found it easy to be comfortable with Ikuya in his arms, and quickly fell asleep.

Saying their goodbyes in the morning had to be brief. It was difficult to estimate time from the half-fish kingdom, but once faint light from the sun seeped in through the woven ceiling, Haruka knew Makoto would soon be arriving at the pick-up point.

Saying goodbye to Ikuya's family first was difficult. Natsuya, Nao, and their three children all came over to wish them well, and everyone wanted to give them both hugs and advice and offers to come back any time, really, don't be strangers. Haruka had never really thought about what having in-laws was like, but he supposed it wasn't so bad, if only he had more time to give them.

Their visit to say goodbye to the king and queen, however, was very brief. The pregnant queen was in the middle of a check-up with the kingdom's nurse, something Haruka was surprised to learn about. Education was different for half-fish, so he didn't think they had specialists like this.

"You'll always be welcome here," the queen told them. "It would make me very happy if you would come visit when the baby is born."

"I'll see what I can do," Haruka said gently. Knowing that he had a little brother or sister on the way was certainly motivation for him, though he still didn't know what his training schedule would look like that far out. For all he knew, he could be on the other side of the country then.

After saying goodbye to the king, Haruka took Ikuya by the hand to leave. Catching the eye of the nurse, Haruka couldn't help but notice that she seemed to want to say something, but she bit her lip and turned away as they left.

The trip back to the meeting place where they would be picked up was much more pleasant with Ikuya's company than the trip to the kingdom had been a couple of days ago. He was grateful that Ikuya took over navigation when he realized that he didn't actually recognize where he was going anymore, but he began to recognize his surroundings again as they approached the place where his net was splayed over the sand. Above them, Haruka could see the bottom of the little boat.

"Looks like Makoto is here," he said. "I'll go up first so I can help you onboard. I imagine you might need some time to get used to having legs."

Ikuya nodded and squeezed Haruka's hand before letting him go. He still swam up beside him, but when they reached the surface, he stayed under while Haruka stuck his head out.

When Haruka's head breeched the surface of the water, he was relieved to see familiar green eyes looking over the side of the boat at him.

"Welcome back," Makoto said cheerfully. "I was starting to wonder if you were coming."

"Sorry," Haruka apologized. He waited for Makoto to lower the ladder over the side of the boat and started to pull himself up. "We got held up saying goodbye to everyone."

"We?" Makoto asked, extending his hands to help Haruka raise himself until his legs returned.

"Ikuya is with me," Haruka explained. "I'm bringing him home."

"You- you're what?" Makoto stammered.

With his legs firmly under him, Haruka climbed the rest of the way onto the boat by himself. Leaning over the side, he called out, "Your turn!"

Ikuya's head popped up out of the water and he cautiously approached the ladder. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, grabbing the first rung.

"I'll help you," Haruka replied, reaching his arms out the same way Makoto had.

"You're really bringing him back?" Makoto asked incredulously. "After everything you said before about not wanting to keep him cooped up and not being able to take care of him?"

"Just a little more," Haruka grunted, pulling Ikuya up.

When his tail was about halfway out of the water, Ikuya found himself kicking with legs instead. "H-H-Haru!" he cried out, unsure what to do with them.

"Try and get your feet to rest on one of the rungs," Haruka instructed him.

"Feet?!" Makoto repeated.

"That's it," Haruka said, smiling and holding tight to his mate. "Get both feet on the same one and take it one at a time."

Once Ikuya was a little further out of the water, Haruka hooked his arms under Ikuya's and pulled him onboard, accidentally falling backwards with Ikuya landing on top of him.

"Wh-wh-whaaat?!" Makoto shrieked. "How? When? HUH?"

"Are you alright?" Haruka asked, ignoring his best friend for the moment.

"Yeah," Ikuya replied. Carefully, he sat up, his knees on either side of Haruka's legs, and Haruka wriggled out from under him.

"Makoto, did you bring clothes?" Haruka asked, finally acknowledging his friend.

"I, uh, yeah," Makoto stammered. "B-but just for you, I wasn't expecting…"

"We'll make it work," Haruka shrugged. "Sorry, I know this is kind of sudden for you." Spying his backpack, Haruka stood up and retrieved it, beginning to pull out clothes and towels. Tossing one towel at Ikuya and finding that Makoto had fortunately packed two, he took the other and began to dry off.

" _How?"_ Makoto asked, gesturing to Ikuya, who was still sitting on his knees.

"I made him royal," Haruka replied. "I made him my mate, and now he can turn human like I can."

"This is so weird," Ikuya muttered, slowly bringing his legs out in front of him one at a time.

"That's all it took?" Makoto asked.

Once again ignoring his best friend, Haruka started sorting out the clothes he had. Tossing his hoodie and shorts at Ikuya, he kept his t-shirt and boxers, slipping them on quickly and then going over to help Ikuya get dressed.

"You've seen me wear this stuff before, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out," he said, pulling the hoodie down over Ikuya's head. "Arms through there- there you go."

When everyone was appropriately dressed- at least, somewhat appropriately- Makoto got the boat ready to head back to the dock. "We've got some time," he called over his shoulder. "Why don't you tell me all about it?"

Sitting on the deck with his back against the side of the boat and Ikuya in his lap, Haruka obliged Makoto with a brief recap of his visit with the half-fish. He purposefully skipped the details involving the first night, focusing more in his interactions with the two families instead.

When they reached the dock, Makoto called for a cab, while Haruka and Ikuya stayed on the boat and waited. Ikuya could get away with walking around in public the way he was, if he could walk aright, but Haruka had to try and hide the fact that he was in his underwear as much as possible. When the cab finally came, Haruka had to hold Ikuya's hands and walk backwards in front of him to get him off the boat, finally losing patience and carrying him the rest of the way to the car.

"Oi!" Ikuya griped. "I need to learn to do this for myself!"

"We can work on it at home," Haruka retorted. "You look like a drunk the way you're walking now."

Makoto took the front seat and gave the cab driver Haruka's address, while Haruka sat with Ikuya in the back. Though the cabbie tried to converse some, Haruka was grateful that Makoto fielded the questions and did most of the talking.

When they reached Haruka's house, Haruka helped Ikuya out of the car, and he and Makoto walked on either side of him, helping him get his footing. He didn't have shoes, which made Haruka nervous about him hurting his feet, but he figured it would be easier for him to learn that way. Besides that, there was only one pair of sandals between the two of them.

"I guess I'll head home, then," Makoto said, excusing himself at the door. "I'm glad to see you back, Ikuya. I hope you can get used to living as a human."

"Thanks," Ikuya replied, a little embarrassed at himself as he leaned on Haruka for support just to stand. "I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other, huh."

"You'll get to see a lot more of everyone," Haruka replied. "And meet some people you haven't met yet."

"Take care," Makoto waved.


	7. Being Human

_Okay, this time I did a much better job cutting out the sexytimes for the ff version. Once again, to read the uncut version, you can find it on AO3. This story is by the same name and so am I._

* * *

Once inside, Haruka decided it would be best to get upstairs. He wanted to wash the salt off, and he wanted to get both of them into some proper clothes. "Ready?" he asked, his arm around Ikuya's waist.

"I guess so," Ikuya replied. He had his arm over Haruka's shoulder, and his other hand grabbed the railing. About halfway up, his grip on Haruka loosened, and he grew more confident in his steps.

"You're doing great," Haruka told him, his hold loosening as well. "Just a little more."

At the top, Haruka didn't give him a chance to rest. Pulling him along, he got him into the bathroom, getting him to stand under his own power while he stripped. Following Haruka, Ikuya took off his clothes as well, almost losing his balance when he tried to step out of the shorts, but catching himself before he fell.

"Are you starting to get the hang of it?" Haruka asked, setting up his stool and getting the water in the tub running. "Here, sit down and I'll show you how to wash."

"O-okay." Ikuya gulped. Slowly, he wobbled over, holding the wall as he went. When he reached the stool, he needed to lean on Haruka for support to lower himself onto it, but he was fine once he was sitting.

"Let me get the water warm first," Haruka said. Holding his hand under the faucet, he took the opportunity to get a good look at his mate. He had seen him on the boat, sure, but he was a little preoccupied with making sure he got onboard safely to really get a good look at him. When they were walking, he could tell that Ikuya was just a little shorter than he was, and he seemed to have a slimmer build.

"Why are you staring at me?" Ikuya blushed.

"Just admiring you," Haruka replied, giving him a sideways grin. "The water's warm now." He knew he had all the time in the world to familiarize himself with Ikuya's new form, but he was eager to explore it and discover the little things that made him unique. Lathering up a washcloth, he determined that teaching his lover how to wash was the perfect excuse.

"It smells nice," Ikuya commented, allowing Haruka to move his arms as needed so he could be thoroughly scrubbed.

"Most soaps and shampoos do," Haruka replied. He moved extra slowly as he washed Ikuya's back. He could feel Ikuya's muscles relaxing under his touch. "Does it feel good?" he asked.

"Yeah," Ikuya replied breathily.

When Haruka got to Ikuya's genitals, he washed them carefully, resisting his temptation to have a little fun with him. Still, when he saw that Ikuya was getting a little excited, he got a little excited too. After being a little bit quicker cleaning Ikuya's legs and feet, Haruka stole a kiss before rinsing him off and reaching for the shampoo.

"This was always my favorite part," he said, pouring some out onto his hand. "I loved having my hair washed when I was little."

"Really?" Ikuya asked.

"Mhm." Haruka rubbed the shampoo between his hands. "Close your eyes so the soap doesn't sting you."

"Sting?" Ikuya repeated nervously.

"Soap can sometimes hurt your eyes," Haruka explained, gently working the shampoo into Ikuya's hair. "So it's best to keep your eyes closed while washing your hair, in case some trickles down."

"I see," Ikuya mumbled. He leaned back into Haruka's hands, his shoulders relaxing. "This _does_ feel good."

With a smile, Haruka scrubbed a little harder, his heart skipping a beat when Ikuya let out a contented hum. "Alright," he announced, "time to rinse again." With Ikuya thoroughly cleaned, he decided to test him, as well as get a little more fun out of the experience. "Now you wash me."

"Okay," Ikuya replied, standing from the stool a little uncertainly. "I'll try, but make sure you tell me if I do something wrong."

"I will," Haruka promised. He grinned, holding back a laugh, at how seriously Ikuya was taking this.

Ikuya's movements were excessively gentle, but he got the job done, copying the order in which Haruka had washed him almost exactly. When it came time to wash his hair, however, he let his nails scratch Haruka's scalp with some pressure, and he scrubbed longer than was probably necessary.

"Does it feel good like this?" he asked.

"Amazing," Haruka replied, his eyes closed and a smile on his face. "Your long nails feel good."

With them both freshly cleaned, Haruka helped Ikuya into the tub first, then climbed in himself. "And now we just relax."

"I'm already relaxed," Ikuya replied, situating himself in Haruka's lap.

"You may be relaxed," Haruka murmured, bringing his face close to Ikuya's ear, "but if you sit so close to me I'll get all worked up."

"Oh?" Ikuya asked teasingly, leaning back against him. "Well, this is your house, and we are all alone, so maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing."

Wrapping his arms around Ikuya, Haruka kissed his neck. "Do you even know how two human men do it?" he asked.

Ikuya shook his head, then turned to steal a kiss. "Actually, no, I don't," he replied honestly. "Seems I've got one less orifice in this form."

"Pfft," Haruka snorted. "Yeah, yeah you do." Sliding one hand between Ikuya's legs, he gently touched the base of his cock. "You know what this is for, obviously."

"Same as it was as a half-fish," Ikuya whined. "Don't tease me if you're not gonna do anything about it."

Moving his hand lower, Haruka reached under Ikuya to press a finger to the outside of his anus. "You know what this is?" he asked.

Ikuya gulped. "I want to say that's uh, where humans defecate from, but I'm starting to wonder…"

"No," Haruka murmured in his ear, "you're right. It's your butthole. But it's also one way two human men can have sex."

"Y-you do it _there?_ " Ikuya yelped. "Isn't that kind of… dirty?"

"Yup," Haruka replied. "And supposedly it's not very fun at first. You have to do a lot more prep work to get it loosened up, and there's no self-lubrication."

"Why do humans _do_ that?!" Ikuya blurted. "I- I mean, I guess if there's no other way, but still…"

Haruka sighed. "When you told me about half-fish anatomy and how to make it work between two males who want to be together, I was impressed," he admitted. "I bet there are a lot of gay couples who wish they had that kind of anatomical flexibility."

"Gay?" Ikuya repeated.

"It means same-sex," Haruka explained. "See, in the human world, being open about liking someone of the same gender is… kind of taboo. It's kind of freeing knowing how common it is among half-fish, but in the human world, our relationship would be looked down on."

"Why?" Ikuya asked. He turned to face Haruka, his hands holding him over top of him. "Are humans going to look down on us for being mates?"

"Probably," Haruka replied sadly. He sighed. "For whatever reason, people decided same-sex couples were wrong. Some say it has to do with not being able to bear children, others claim it's for religious reasons, I don't know. But that's just how it is, so we'll have to be careful."

"That's stupid," Ikuya grumbled. "I don't care what humans think, I love you, and I'm not ashamed of it."

Touching Ikuya's face, Haruka smiled. "I'm not ashamed of it, either." He kissed Ikuya, running his fingers through his hair. "I love you, too."

Once they were thoroughly relaxed from their bath, Haruka helped Ikuya to his bedroom and picked out some clothes for him. "It's all a little big on you, huh," he said, looking him up and down. "I guess I'll have to take you shopping."

"Is that okay?" Ikuya asked shyly. "I have no human currency, so you'll end up spending a lot of money on me…"

"Don't worry about it," Haruka replied, kissing his cheek. "I'm an Olympic athlete, I can afford to clothe my mate."

"I'm still not entirely sure what that means," Ikuya admitted, "but it seems to be a pretty big deal, so I guess it's alright."

"I don't know about you, but I'm starving," Haruka said, changing the subject. "Let's go out for lunch and then I'll take you shopping for some clothes and shoes that actually fit you."

"Okay," Ikuya mumbled. "Isn't that more money, though? I don't want to be a burden. I can catch my own fish, y'know."

"It's not a burden," Haruka replied. He held Ikuya's hand and led him to the stairs. "Hold on to the rails and walk behind me," he instructed quickly before continuing. "Taking someone you love out to eat is a common date in the human world. Actually, so is shopping together. So don't stress it." When they got safely to the bottom of the stairs, Haruka turned around and grinned at Ikuya. "Besides that, while I was training in Tokyo I had a photoshoot and got paid a bonus."

"Oh." Ikuya nodded his head, pretending to understand. "I guess I have a lot to learn about your life."

As the two walked out in public, Haruka kept his arm shamelessly around Ikuya's waist to support him, blatantly ignoring the dirty looks and disapproving whispers they encountered. Soon enough, Ikuya was comfortable walking without support, but he still held Haruka's hand. Haruka wondered, as he watched Ikuya taking in the city surroundings, if he was afraid of being separated, and squeezed his hand.

Even though Haruka was in the mood for some nice grilled mackerel, he decided to take Ikuya to a sushi restaurant. Seaweed, raw fish, and vegetables were safe choices, he hoped. It would also be an easy introduction to rice, which he was pretty sure Ikuya had never eaten before and would quickly have to learn to like if he wanted to live as a human in Japan.

"Haru," Ikuya whispered, holding his menu out. "I can understand the pictures, but what are all these scribbles?"

That was when realization dawned on Haruka. "You can't read," he said quietly, giving Ikuya an unfixed stare. "I should have noticed before."

"I can read," Ikuya muttered angrily. "But this isn't the writing I know."

"Despite the fact that we speak the same language," Haruka mumbled. He sighed. "I suppose our alphabets evolved differently. Sorry, I'll pick up some books to help you learn. For now, how about I order for you?"

Nodding, Ikuya set his menu aside. He wiggled his feet inside his new shoes and swung his legs under the table, almost kicking Haruka. "It feels so weird," he told him. "My feet feel hot. How do you stand it?"

"I don't really think about it," Haruka replied, shrugging. "You just get used to it."

Sushi for dinner went over better than Haruka expected. Ikuya was quick to pick up on how to use chopsticks, and he seemed to enjoy everything Haruka ordered for him. He got especially excited over one particular roll that was topped with roe. Surprisingly, he even liked the one with spicy mayo, which Haruka was uncertain about when he ordered it.

"Are you ready to go home?" Haruka asked, taking his card back from the waitress.

Nodding, Ikuya stood up and pulled on his new jacket. It was a lightweight purple hoodie with a zipper that he left open. Coming around the table to where Haruka was, they each took shopping bags in one hand and walked holding hands with the other.

Inside the house, Ikuya was the first to ascend the stairs. Holding the railing tightly as he went, he took the first few steps cautiously. Haruka stayed close behind him, ready to catch him if need be, but Ikuya made it to the top just fine. Even though he didn't comment on it, Haruka could tell by the way Ikuya moved that he was feeling more confident.

"I'm beat," Ikuya grunted, stretching his arms. "How is the sun still up? It feels so late."

"We had an early start today," Haruka reminded him. "You can go to bed early if you want."

Ikuya shook his head. "Not until you're ready, too," he said, pouting. "Then I'd wake up before you and have no idea what to do with myself."

"You never wake up before me," Haruka retorted. He gave him a teasing grin. "I'd still wake up first."

Despite the playfulness in Haruka's tone, Ikuya stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets and looked away shyly. "I've never slept like a human before," he said quietly. "I don't know if I can get comfortable without you."

His heart thudding in his chest, Haruka reached out to brush Ikuya's hair from his eyes. "Then, maybe we should both get comfortable." He gave Ikuya a kiss and put his arms around his waist, drawing him closer. Through the scent of shampoo, he caught a hint of his familiar ginger smell.

"Maybe we should," Ikuya breathed, putting his hands on Haruka's chest and clutching his shirt. Leaning in to meet another kiss, Ikuya opened his mouth and licked Haruka's upper lip invitingly.

Not needing to be told twice, Haruka slid his tongue deep into Ikuya's mouth. He felt a hand let go of his shirt and slide up and around to the back of his head, fingers entangling in his hair, and he moaned. Sliding his hands under the waistband of Ikuya's shorts, Haruka held him at the hips for a moment before bringing them around to unbutton them. Slowly lowering the zipper as he looked into Ikuya's eyes, taking a momentary breather from sucking his face, Haruka let Ikuya's shorts fall to the ground.

"It feels different," Ikuya said breathily. "Getting turned on as a human."

"Not bad, I hope?" Haruka asked, stealing a quick kiss before letting him respond.

Shaking his head, Ikuya blushed. "Not bad," he replied. "Just different. It's all so new."

"It's pretty new for me, too," Haruka added. "I never had sex with anyone until you. Doing it as a human is new for me, too."

Kissing and sucking on Ikuya's neck, Haruka slid his purple jacket off. The new t-shirt underneath was soft on his hands as he ran his fingers down Ikuya's chest, but the skin of Ikuya's chest as he slid them back up was softer. He felt Ikuya shudder at his touch and he grinned, giving him one more peck at the base of his jaw before pulling away to finish stripping him of his shirt.

Eagerly, Haruka took Ikuya's hands and brought them down to his abdomen, slipping them under his shirt. His skin prickled and his breath caught in his throat when Ikuya took the hint and slowly, _agonizingly_ slowly, moved his hands up Haruka's chest, taking his shirt up with him. When his head and arms were free again, Haruka took Ikuya by the waist and held him close, his lips brushing lightly over Ikuya's until the other's parted and let him enter with his tongue.

Coaxing Ikuya's tongue out with his own, Haruka moaned into the kiss, eliciting an even louder moan from his partner. He could feel his cock pressing against his pants and grew desperate to be freed from them. As if his wish had been heard, he felt Ikuya's hands come down to his pants and heard his belt being unbuckled. It was slow and clumsy, but Ikuya managed to figure it out, his struggle only making Haruka want him more.

Finally free of his pants, Haruka kicked them out from around his ankles. Licking his tongue against Ikuya's one more time, he pulled away, taking his lover by the hand and leading him to the bed. He pulled back the covers and let Ikuya climb in first.

Climbing onto the bed, Haruka laid down beside him, entangling their legs together and giving him a kiss. Running his fingers through his hair, he licked Ikuya's lips and kissed him again. "You ready?" he asked.

"I don't know," Ikuya replied, his eyes closing and his arms coming to rest around Haruka's waist. "I'm so tired."

Haruka pouted. "Damn," he muttered, though he wasn't upset.

"It isn't that it wasn't _fun,_ " Ikuya told him, drawing closer to Haruka.

Haruka buried his nose in Ikuya's hair and took in a long, slow breath. "I love you."

"Love you, too," Ikuya mumbled, his voice muffled against Haruka's chest.


End file.
